The Girl on the Pier
by hellogoodbye57
Summary: A decomposed body is found in a crate on the pier, so Booth and Brennan are called to investigate. Meanwhile, they continue to deal with raising two kids. Follows The Girl in the Alley. Case fic with plenty of fluff. BxB.
1. Chapter 1

Seeley Booth stepped into the terminal of the airport to find it bustling with activity despite the fact that it was just after 10:30 at night. Though the flight had been a little over an hour long, it still felt as if it had been interminable though Booth suspected that this feeling was partly due to his exhaustion after a particularly grueling week. He had received two new cases that week, one of which had forced him to spend the better part of the previous night on a stakeout. He had spent a couple other nights working on the house that he and Brennan had bought four weeks before, hoping to finish it soon, but he was behind where he thought he would be. On top of that, with Brennan out of town on her book tour, he had been forced to deal with an intern all week, and he had to take care of Noah, Kristen, and the puppy by himself. At only seven weeks old, Noah was still waking every three hours or so, completely throwing off Booth's sleep schedule and leaving him tired and moody.

With a sigh, Booth started across the terminal, instructing Kristen to hold onto his belt loop so she would not get lost in the crowd. He would have grabbed her hand, but his hands were currently full, one holding Parker who was fast asleep on his shoulder, and the other holding all of their luggage except the small pink book bag that Kristen wore. Rebecca had allowed Booth to take Parker for the weekend after some debate, mainly because Parker had been too excited for her to refuse. Luckily, Angela had agreed to watch Noah and the puppy while he was away; he was not certain he could have dealt with all three kids on the plane.

"I'm sleepy," Kristen complained from his side. He peered down at her around Parker's head.

"I know, sweetheart. As soon as we find Bones, we can go back to the hotel, and you can get some rest, okay?" She nodded, moving closer to his leg as she was jostled by a couple passerbys in a hurry. Booth was tempted to yell at them to watch where they were going, but the fact that his son was sleeping stopped him. They made their way to the front of the airport as quickly as possible, bypassing baggage claim since they had not checked any luggage. Booth's eyes scanned the crowd, but it was Kristen who first noticed Brennan.

"Tempe!" she called, running toward Brennan who knelt to envelope her in a hug. Booth approached more slowly, a smile crossing his face as he watched the interaction between his partner and the young girl. Kristen looked considerably better now than she had six weeks ago when he had first found her on the streets. Her face was fuller, her brown hair clean and shiny, and, though still thin, she was a healthy skinny. She also seemed much happier; they had gone through a rough patch for a couple weeks in the beginning where she woke most nights in tears, thinking of her mother. Slowly, however, her demons seemed to fade away. Booth knew they would never disappear entirely, but he was grateful that, for the most part, she seemed to be adjusting to live with Brennan and him as a normal kid.

When Booth reached the pair, Brennan was straightening from the hug, and their eyes met. Suddenly, the last week did not matter; all of Booth's exhaustion and grumpiness left him as he watched a smile pass over her face. A grin spread over his own in return, and he dropped the bags he was holding, wrapping his now free arm around her. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and Booth wondered how he had managed to spend a whole week apart from her. They spent about a minute kissing fiercely before Kristen finally broke them apart.

"I'm tired," she complained again.

Booth removed his lips from Brennan's but kept his arm around her as he turned his head to look at Kristen who did indeed look tired. "Okay, honey, we'll go back to the hotel now," Brennan promised. Booth smiled at the endearment; Brennan had begun to use it about a week before she left, and it seemed to slip easily from her mouth now. He was glad to find that she was finally opening up and letting her less logical side take over in some ways. "I think Booth could use some rest, too," she added, her eyes taking in his appearance critically, noticing the tired slump of his shoulders and the dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Right now, I've got everything I need right here," he told her, pressing a kiss in her hair. He felt Parker stir slightly, turning his head without waking. Kristen leaned heavily against his legs, the lateness of the hour taking its toll on her. Yes, he definitely had everything he needed.

Knowing that they would be arriving that night, Brennan had asked for a hotel room with two queen-sized beds and a rollaway bed. When Booth entered the room still carrying Parker, he was happy to find that the beds were already ready. Brennan helped Kristen change into her pajamas and climb into one of the queen beds while he carefully changed Parker and put him in the rollaway. Through the entire process, Parker stirred a couple times but never woke. Once the kids were in bed, Booth approached Brennan, wrapping his arms tightly around her so that he could kiss her hungrily. They spent a few minutes allowing their tongues to reacquaint themselves with one another before Booth's lips moved to her neck. "Hmm, I had a number of things planned for our first meeting," he hummed against her skin. "Unfortunately, the current sleeping arrangements make that difficult."

"Well, I would guess that you want to clean off after the plane ride," she murmured.

"Yes, that would be nice," He smirked, leading her toward the bathroom. "I'm thinking a nice long bath should get me cleaned up nicely."

It was the first full night of sleep that Booth had had in a long time, and when he finally awoke, he felt more refreshed than he had in a long time. Bones was still asleep beside him, his arm around her waist, and he tightened the arm to bring her body closer to his. "Morning," she mumbled.

"Mmm, good morning," he answered, burying his face in her soft hair to press kisses to her neck. She turned in his arms so that his lips could press on hers instead, and they spent a few minutes kissing leisurely. Booth's hands ran down her back, slipping under the shirt to caress the smooth skin he found there. For a moment, he forgot the circumstances, losing himself in her lips. He pressed his body against hers, allowing evidence of his desire to press against her leg.

"Dad?" a small voice remarked. Booth groaned and rolled over so that he could see his son where Parker still lay on the roll away bed on the floor.

"Yeah, Bub?"

"What are we doing today?"

Booth looked to Brennan. "I have a book signing at 3:00," she informed him. "I thought we could do a little sightseeing before then."

"Sounds good to me. Come on, Bub, let's get dressed and go for a run around Central Park," Booth suggested.

"Can I come, too?" a small, sleepy voice asked from beneath the covers in the bed beside them. Booth looked over at her with a smile.

"Sure you can, sweetheart. Bones, you wanna come, too?"

"Of course. Just let me get ready."

After a run around Central Park, they returned and showered before heading out to breakfast. At Parker's request, they visited Liberty Island next. Evidently, he had learned about the Statue of Liberty in school, and he had been able to talk of nothing else since learning of their trip to New York. They took a taxi over, and Parker did not stop talking for the entire ride. "Did you know that France actually gave us the Statue of Liberty?" Parker questioned.

"Uh huh, Bub," Booth replied.

"It was the first thing that immigrants coming to the United States saw. There's a poem on a bronze plaque inside the base. It's not actually outside even though they always show it that way in movies and stuff."

"'The New Colossus' by Emma Lazarus," Booth said, his voice quieter than normal.

"_Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,_

_With conquering limbs astride from land to land_

_Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand _

_A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame _

_Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name _

_Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand _

_Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command _

_The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. _

_"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she_

_ With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, _

_Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, _

_The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. _

_Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, _

_I lift my lamp beside the golden door!_"

He recited the poem quietly but with such intensity that everyone else in the taxi grew silent. As he spoke, he stared blankly out the window, a shadowed, haunted look in his eyes. When he had finished, Parker exclaimed, "Wow, Daddy, you know the whole thing?"

Booth blinked, seeming to come out of whatever trance he had been in. "Yeah, Bub, I do," he told his son. Brennan gazed at him curiously, but he ignored the question in her eyes. "Hey, look, we're here," Booth said, pointing to the harbor from which the ferry would depart to take them to Liberty Island. "Let's go, Bub." They all exited the taxi, and Booth paid the driver before catching up to them, placing an arm around Brennan's waist to bring her ear to his mouth. "A buddy of mine in the army, his parents were first-generation immigrants. He used to recite that poem every night, remind himself why he was fighting. Because sometimes, out there, you forget." He stopped speaking for a moment, swallowed. "He was killed in the line of duty. I kept reciting that poem though, every night, before I went to bed. Sometimes, I think it was the only thing which kept me going. It reminded me of what I was fighting for." Brennan looked at him, noticing the firm set to his jaw and the distant look in his eyes. After a pause, almost like an afterthought (though Brennan knew he had considered the words carefully), he added, "And it wasn't just for freedom or liberty anymore."

They spent some time exploring the museum; unfortunately, they could not go up into the statue since it was closed, but Parker quickly cheered up when Brennan told them their next stop would be the Empire State Building and that they would be able to go all the way up the observatory on top. Both kids could barely contain their excitement as they took the ferry back to New York and then a taxi to the Empire State Building. Brennan had splurged and bought express passes for the four of them, so they were able to quickly move to the front of the security line and make their way into the expansive lobby. Kristen was instantly attracted to the metal relief sculpture of a glowing Empire State Building, and the four spent some time admiring that before heading for the elevators. Again, they were able to bypass the line and soon were riding the high-speed elevators to the top.

Parker was fascinated by the elevators. "Dr. Bones, how fast are we going?" he asked as they continued upwards.

"I don't know, Park," she replied.

"But you know _everything_."

"I don't know everything, Park."

"Dad says you do."

"Oh, he does, does he?" She turned to Booth who smirked and held his hands up.

"Hey, don't look at me."

"You lied to your seven-year-old son."

"Hyperbole, Bones. Hyperbole."

Shaking her head at her partner, Brennan turned back to Parker. "Tell you what, Park. On the way back down, we'll time the descent using your dad's watch. And since we know how high we are, we can figure out our speed."

"Okay." Parker happily turned back to his father and whispered, "She doesn't know everything, Dad, but she's really good at figuring it out."

"She certainly is, Bub," Booth told his son, his eyes twinkling.

They reached the top, and Parker enthusiastically exited the elevator, practically dragging his father along with him. Kristen was similarly excited, talking a mile a minute as she made her way through the throng of people, Brennan's hand resting protectively on her shoulder. The crowd moved slowly, and both Parker and Kristen were trying to crane their necks to see off the edge. At long last, they reached the short cement wall topped by the plexiglass and metal bars. Parker eagerly pressed his face against the plexiglass, gazing in wonder at the city below them.

"They look just like my Hot Wheels!" he exclaimed, pointing to the tiny cars below them. Booth smiled at him.

"Yeah, they do." He wrapped an arm around Brennan as he stared out at the famous skyline. Skyscrapers jutted up at various points, their heights and widths varying to create a unique picture that defined New York. Together, the four moved down the wall, Kristen and Parker still eagerly gazing out at the view. They came across a set of binoculars, and Booth forked over a couple quarters to allow Parker and Kristen a chance to have a closer look at the skyline which fascinated them. They clambered over the binoculars, a fight nearly breaking out until Booth instructed Parker to let Kristen have the first turn. He pouted for a moment but cheered up quickly when he noticed an interesting building that was close enough for him to observe without the binoculars. "I guess the honeymoon stage is over," Booth remarked, his voice soft in Brennan's ear. She looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

In answer, he nodded toward Parker and Kristen. "The last few times we've had them together, they've both been extremely well-behaved, especially for kids. There hasn't been any fighting or yelling or jealousy or the usual stuff. Now, they're starting to act like a brother and sister. The honeymoon's over."

"Do you mind?"

Booth watched as the time from the first quarter ran out, and Kristen somewhat reluctantly relinquished the binoculars to Parker who held the second quarter. Parker perched himself on the step in front of the binoculars and inserted his quarter. His eyes were glued to the eyepiece almost immediately. A glance at Kristen showed that she was still fascinated, her eyes taking in everything that she could. He knew that in the future there would be plenty of fights like the one that had nearly occurred. But he also knew that at the end of the day, both Parker and Kristen would have the other's back because they were family, and that was what family did. And he could not bring himself to care about the petty fighting that might occur along the way.

"Not at all, Bones," he answered, pulling her closer to his side, the wind whipping her hair to the side, causing her ponytail to loosen.

They stopped for a late lunch before returning to the hotel so that Brennan could change for the book signing. As she changed, Booth and the kids settled in front of the television, and Booth grabbed the remote so he could flip through the channels. "I was thinking that you could visit a museum or something while I'm at the signing," Brennan said, emerging from the bathroom, fiddling with her earrings.

"Actually, Bones, we were planning on going to the book signing with you."

"It'll be boring for you. You should just-"

"No arguments, Bones. Now come on, let's get going, we're going to be late."

They found a crowd already outside the bookstore when they arrived, and Brennan's frantic publicist spotted her before they reached the door. "Oh, good, you're finally here," she remarked somewhat breathlessly. "I was worried for a minute there that you wouldn't show. Come on, let's go in the back." Placing a hand on Brennan's back, the publicist started to lead her away. Brennan looked to Booth, but he simply smiled at her.

"Go on, Bones, we'll be waiting when you finish," he promised, his hand slipping from her lower back to rest on Parker's shoulder, a spot her hand had recently vacated. His other hand was already on Kristen's head.

"Okay, but if the kids get bored-"

"Relax, Bones, I've got it covered." She looked skeptical but still allowed herself to be led away around the crowd of people to a back entrance.

Forty-five minutes later, Brennan's hand was cramping up, and she remembered why she hated book tours so much. Her publicist had promised her a break halfway through the signing, and she had already made it to that point. She checked behind her to see if she could find her publicist, but the woman seemed to have disappeared. With a sigh, she turned forward again, her eyes not even looking up at the person in front of her but instead focusing on the book that was on the table. Her book. If she never saw it again, she wasn't sure that she would be too upset. "Where do you want me to sign?" she questioned automatically, hoping her tone did not sound as listless as she felt.

"Oh, I don't know," a familiar voice responded. "How about right under my name on the dedication page?" Surprised, Brennan looked up to see Booth standing in front of the table, a wide grin on his face. Kristen and Parker stood beside him, Parker focused intently on his DS and Kristen flipping slowly through one of her school workbooks. A smile spread over Brennan's face for the first time since the book signing started.

"What are you doing in line?" she inquired.

"Just thought I'd get a signature from my favorite author."

"You can get my signature anytime, Booth."

"Just your signature?" He leaned forward slightly, his grin wide and feral. Before Brennan could respond, her publicist appeared beside her.

"Dr. Brennan, you should probably take a ten-minute break now," she said. Her eyes flicked to Booth, noting his proximity, and he cleared his throat and backed up.

"Okay, I guess I'll be back in ten minutes then," Brennan informed her publicist, standing up. A few people near the front of the line grumbled a bit but cheered up when the publicist promised that she would return shortly. Booth followed her toward the back of the store, the kids still trailing behind them. She was heading for the door, but before she could reach it, he grabbed her arm, stopping her movement.

"Come here, Bones," he instructed, tugging her arm to pull her close. She went without complaint, and he wrapped both arms tightly around her, pulling her into a passionate embrace. Their lips locked, both ignoring Kristen and Parker who had let out identical grunts of disgust before focusing intently on their respective tasks. Booth backed her up against a nearby wall, his hands resting beside her head as his tongue plundered her mouth.

Eventually, they pulled apart. "Do you always have to do that?" Kristen asked from behind them, heaving a large sigh as she looked up from her workbook.

"Yes," Booth answered simply.

"Well, it's gross," Kristen declared simply.

"Deal with it, Munchkin." Booth ruffled her hair and sank down into the seat beside her. Parker sat across the table, still engrossed in his video game.

"How is the studying going?" Brennan asked.

"Good," Kristen replied simply.

"Dr. Bones, did Daddy tell you what the woman in front of us said?" Parker queried, looking up from his game.

"No, he didn't." She looked to Booth who simply nodded to Parker who was eagerly explaining what her fan had said. She smiled as she listened to the small boy.

A few minutes later, Brennan had to return to the front of the store to finish the signing. Booth, Parker, and Kristen wandered around the store a little more, eventually settling down in the section with chidren's books, Parker and Kristen both curled up on his lap as he read one to them. Parker decided to read the next one, and Kristen read the third with some help from Booth.

Thirty minutes later, they made their way slowly back to the front of the store. A security guard stopped them before they could reach Brennan. "I'm sorry, but the signing has ended," he informed the three.

"Oh no, it's okay, I know the author," Booth assured the guard.

The guard looked at him skeptically. "So does everyone else here. But I'm sorry, I can't let anyone else get through. Those are my orders."

Booth took a deep breath, reminding himself that the guard was simply doing his job, a job that Booth was thankful for. He certainly did not want any random psycho off the streets to be able to get too close to his Bones (and yes, she was his Bones no matter what she thought). But this thought did not stop him from being annoyed that he could not pass. "Look, could you just tell her Booth is here?"

Fortunately, the guard did not even need to tell her. She had obviously heard Booth's voice, for she suddenly appeared behind the guard, her publicist following closely behind her, looking somewhat harried. Booth's face broke into a wide grin when he saw her. "You ready to go, Bones?" he questioned.

"Just a minute. I need to finish up a couple things and make a phone call. It's okay, you can let them through," she added, addressing the guard. He stepped back, and Booth walked around him, the kids trailing behind him. One of the first things he noticed were the two people with cameras standing near the table. He raised his eyebrows at Brennan who ignored him and took her seat again at the table where she had been signing books, seeming annoyed with the entire process. Standing a few feet away, Booth watched with a small amount of pride as she answered a reporter's questions while the cameramen snapped pictures of her. He still could not believe that he was dating a smart, beautiful, successful anthropologist who also happened to be a best-selling author.

The reporters finished a few minutes later, and Brennan joined the trio once more. Booth was tempted to kiss her, but he knew the reporters were still watching, so he remained at a professional distance as they moved away. "I have a surprise for you," Brennan announced as they stepped outside and he hailed a cab.

"A surprise?" Parker's eyes grew wide as he looked up from his game. "What kind of a surprise?" Booth smiled at his enthusiasm.

"I've worked with anthropologists at the American Museum of Natural History in the past, and I know many of the scientists and curators who work there. I talked to one of them earlier when I knew I was coming to New York, and he offered to give us a private tour of the museum."

"Cool!" Kristen exclaimed.

"Wait, doesn't the museum close in about an hour?" Booth questioned as they stepped into the cab. He told the driver their destination, and they started off.

"Not for us. I thought you might want to spend the night there. Dr. Tyler offered us some sleeping bags and a chance to stay overnight. I thought it would be something you would enjoy."

"We get to spend the night in the museum?" Parker questioned.

"If you want."

"Awesome! Wait, the stuff doesn't come to life, does it? Like in that movie?"

"That was a movie, Parker. Nothing actually comes to life."

"But what if it does? That would be so cool!" Booth chuckled at his son's enthusiasm. Kristen and Parker continued to pepper Brennan with questions about the museum for the rest of the trip, and she answered them all without complaint. Once he had paid the driver and left the cab, he placed an arm around Brennan's shoulders.

"Thanks for this, Bones. This means a lot to them," he whispered in her ear.

"I was happy to do it. I want to give them every opportunity to learn anything they can especially at their early age."

"You're amazing, Bones. Truly amazing." Together, they walked up to the front door of the museum. A security guard stopped them, but Brennan showed him an ID and asked for Dr. Tyler, and he immediately ushered them inside to a small area with a few chairs. Since the museum was closing shortly, no one else was entering, but a crowd of people were milling about the lobby, gathering everyone in their group together so they could leave. Parker and Kristen were both gazing in wonder at the expansive lobby and the giant _Barosaurus _skeleton, unable to sit down. Though the two had spent a great deal of time in the Jeffersonian, the museum they currently sat in was more expansive than their home away from home. Booth suspected that their wonder also arose from the novelty of being in a new place. He shook his head; if he was not careful, he would have two squints on his hands before long. Kristen pointed something out to Brennan, and the scientist turned to tell her about the display. As he watched Parker and Kristen hanging on to every word that came from his partner's mouth, Booth decided that he would not mind so much if both the kids turned into squints. At least they were his squints.

"Temperance!" a deep voice called. All four turned to see a portly man in his late forties approaching, his suit jacket open around his expansive middle, and his tie folded up as he made his way hurriedly toward them. "It's so nice to see you again." He held out a pudgy hand, and Brennan shook it. "And you must be Agent Booth. I'm Dr. Gregory Tyler, but you can just call me Greg."

Booth nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Greg. Thank you for doing this."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it's my pleasure. I love talking about this museum; just ask Temperance. And besides, I'm always happy to do a favor for an old friend. Temperance has helped us more than you can imagine. She is a truly brilliant anthropologist; the Jeffersonian is lucky to have her."

Booth smiled. "I know," he told the man. "And this is Parker and Kristen."

"It's very nice to meet you." Greg bent down to the kids' level. Kristen, being the more reticent of the two, grabbed onto Booth's leg and hid half her body behind it. Parker, however, approached Greg without reserve, questions already pouring from his mouth.

"Do you have dinosaur bones here? Dr. Bones says that you have the largest collection of fossils anywhere!"

Greg chuckled. "We do. We have over one million vertebrate fossils."

"Cool! Can we see them?"

"Of course. Would you like to start with the fossil exhibits?" Parker nodded eagerly, and Greg laughed again as he led them to an elevator.

It took nearly two hours to finish their tour of the fossil halls, mostly due to Parker's incessant questions and insistence on looking at every fossil on display along with a few that were not displayed that Greg showed them. By far, Parker's favorite fossil was that of the _Tyrannosaurus rex _shown bent over with his tail extended behind him in a position that Greg explained reflected current scientific belief about how the animal stalked its prey. Kristen asked a few questions, too, but Parker was the real dinosaur lover, and the fossils fascinated him more than her.

After they finally finished exploring the fossil halls, Greg provided them with some dinner before they continued the tour. The museum had closed for the day, so the main lights were off, meaning the exhibits were lit only by the dim back-up lighting. Greg offered to turn the other lights back on to give them the full effect, but Brennan assured him that the current lighting was fine, and Booth had to admit that it certainly made the viewing experience more interesting. Also, it was nice not to have to contend with the crowds he was sure were ubiquitous during the day. It was just the five of them wandering through the exhibits, their footsteps echoing loudly in the enormous building. Booth reached out and took Brennan's hand in his own, entwining their fingers together as they followed the two excited kids into the first exhibit hall on the third floor. Greg brought up the rear of their small group, already launching into a discussion of the history of the hall.

They spent the next four hours exploring the remaining halls in the museum. Brennan, of course, took over the tour during the culture halls, explaining the exhibits with familiarity. At Kristen's request, she pointed out which ones she had helped with (which turned out to be quite a few). Surprisingly, Booth only had to remind her to keep the explanations at a level the kids could understand a couple times. She was learning quickly.

It was 10:30 when they approached the final part of the museum, the Rose Center. Booth expected the kids to have dropped already; after all, it had been a long day. But both were much too wired to succumb to exhaustion, and they eagerly followed Greg into the Rose Gallery. Now, it was Kristen's turn to take over the constant questioning as they gazed at the pictures from the Apollo missions. They had discovered her interest in astronomy a couple weeks before when a late-night trip to the park had turned into an impromptu lesson on constellations from Brennan. Since that time, she had been fascinated by space, spending a good deal of time in the Jeffersonian's own astronomy exhibit which was considerably smaller than the Rose Center, and Brennan and Booth had provided her with a number of astronomy books in an attempt to satisfy at least part of her seemingly endless curiosity.

Two hours later, they finally finished their tour of the Rose Center. Greg offered to show them anything they wanted to see again, but when they assured him he had shown them enough, he disappeared into his office and came out with four sleeping bags. "I thought you guys might want to sleep in here," he suggested.

"Thanks, that would be great," Booth told him.

"I'm going to be in my office," Greg told them. "I have some things to finish up, but feel free to come and find me if you need anything."

"It's late," Booth remarked. "I don't really want to keep you here."

Greg waved off Booth's concerns. "Don't worry. I have a ton of work to do, and I've always been a night owl anyway."

"Well, thank you, it's been great."

"Yeah!" Parker and Kristen exclaimed together.

"We should be out of your hair fairly early," Brennan assured him. "There's somewhere we need to be at sunrise." Booth turned to her in surprise, wondering what she had planned, but she responded with a simple smile, her eyes clearly telling him that he would find out eventually. Greg told them to come find him before they left, and after another round of thanks, he disappeared into his office.

It did not take long for Parker and Kristen to fall asleep after curling up in their respective sleeping bags. Their excitement had started to wear off, and the late hour finally seemed to have caught up with them. Once they were both fast asleep, Booth turned to Brennan who was crawling into her own sleeping bag. "Not so fast," he told her. "I don't really like these sleeping arrangements; I sleep better with you in my arms." He unzipped his own sleeping bag and laid it flat on the floor.

Brennan stood to face him, her arms crossed in defiance. "What if I like the other sleeping arrangements better?" she questioned. In answer, he leaned forward and kissed her soundly. She responded immediately by wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, her tongue pushing its way into his mouth.

Pulling away slightly, he asked, "Still want to sleep in separate sleeping bags?" against her lips. It was Brennan who initiated the second kiss, pressing her entire body against him as her arms wound tightly around his neck. His hands splayed across her hips as he pushed her against the nearby wall. A week was too long, and their reunion the previous night too short. He felt desire spring to life in his body, and he removed his mouth from hers to press kisses to her neck and collarbone. She moaned softly, and her hands dropped down to pull him closer. As she circled her hands to the front of his body to grasp him through his pants, he growled and pulled away. "If we don't stop right now, I'm going to end up making love to you right here," he muttered, his breathing still heavy and his eyes dark with desire. She nodded, knowing that he spoke the truth; they were both rapidly losing all inhibitions as their arousal increased. He moved away from her, closing his eyes as he recited hockey statistics. In a few minutes, he had calmed down somewhat and motioned her over. "Come on, Bones, let's go to bed." She acquiesced without argument, snuggling beside him on the sleeping bag as he pulled the second one over them.


	2. Chapter 2

The buzzing of Brennan's phone woke them early the next morning—too early, in her opinion, especially after their fairly late night the night before. Booth groaned beside her, his arm reaching out for the nonexistent alarm clock. Brennan turned off the alarm before he inadvertently hit her with his groping arm, turning over to press a kiss to his lips. He cracked his eyes open slightly to look at her. "Tell me again why we're getting up before the sun has risen," he muttered.

"It's a surprise. Trust me, you'll enjoy it. Come on, let's get the kids up."

They roused the kids after a good deal of grumbling and complaining and said goodbye to Greg, thanking him once more before heading out. Despite the obscenely early hour, cars still crowded the streets though it was a bit easier to find an unoccupied taxi. Brennan gave the driver an address that Booth did not recognize, and they were soon on their way. Though it was still dark outside, the headlights from the multitude of cars surrounding them and the lights of the countless billboards and signs made it easy for Booth to make out the passing landmarks. "The Brooklyn Bridge?" he finally asked, seeing the structure appearing in front of them.

Brennan nodded somewhat self-consciously. "I was told that it was a great place from which to watch the sunrise. But if you don't want to. . ."

"It's perfect, Bones," he assured her.

And it was, too. Brennan had been to New York numerous times before and had even watched the sun rise above its massive buildings when conferences were scheduled at ridiculously early hours. But there was something different about seeing the sun rise this time, something special about watching it with her back pressed against the solid muscle of Booth's chest, his arms around her waist, and her hands holding Parker and Kristen close. The kids oohed and ahhed at the appropriate times, but Booth and Brennan were silent as they watched the sun come up over the tops of the skyscrapers, creating streaks of colored light across the sky. Brennan could explain why the sun rose every day in the east and why it created the bands of color across the sky that fascinated so many, but she could not explain why the experience felt like it did. . . almost magical. And though Brennan was loath to admit that science could not explain something, she knew she was simply deceiving herself if she continued to believe that there was nothing more to the sunrise than the light from a star being scattered by solid aerosols in the sky to create red and orange hues. Because light scattering could not explain how she felt at that moment or why she had a sudden inexplicable urge to turn her head to the side just as Booth, likely acting under a similar urge, lowered his head to press his lips to hers. Yes, there was something magical about sunrises.

Brennan had an early morning interview, so she changed at the hotel and made her way to the television station once they had finished watching the sunrise. Booth had wanted to come with her, but she insisted that he and the kids remain at the hotel, pointing out how tired they obviously were. He did not argue as much as she had expected, and they parted ways with a final kiss.

The interview went fairly well as far as Brennan could tell. She was prepared to talk about Kristen and Noah if the question of children came up again, to explain that she did not dislike children. She thought about also mentioning her desire to have a baby of her own, a desire that she had shared with Booth but which had been put on hold after Kristen and Noah came into their lives. But she immediately dismissed this thought; the question of whether or not she was going to have a baby was a personal decision between her and Booth, and it was going to stay that way.

The interviewer, however, did not bring up children or any other personal subject. She seemed content to focus solely on Brennan's two books and her upcoming one, an attitude that Brennan found especially refreshing after so many reporters who only wanted to ask about her personal life. Brennan answered her questions as well as she could, and her publicist gave her a thumbs up as the cameras clicked off. She shook the interviewer's hand, spoke for a short period with her publicist, and then climbed gratefully into a cab to return to the hotel.

When she walked into the room, she found Booth already awake but both kids still sound asleep. "You look beat," he observed. She glanced at him curiously, unsure of the meaning of the phrase, and he explained. "Tired."

"I am slightly tired, but I should be fine."

He crossed the room in two long strides, pressing his lips to hers. "Get some rest," he instructed, steering her toward the bed they shared.

"I'm fine, Booth, really. Besides, there are a couple more places I want to take you and the kids today before you have to leave."

"The kids are still sleeping. So you can't take us anywhere right now anyway. Now, get some rest." He enforced this order by pushing her back so that she was sitting on the bed. Too tired to argue, she simply removed her shoes and jacket before laying back and shutting her eyes, letting sleep overtake her.

She woke about half an hour later to whispered voices. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked to see Booth and the kids sitting in the other bed having a hushed conversation. "Sorry, we didn't want to wake you," Booth apologized when he saw that she was awake. "We were going to get some brunch. You should sleep for a little longer. I'll bring you something back."

"No, I want to go. You guys are leaving today, and I want to spend some time with you." Brennan pushed herself up in the bed, rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she tried to forget how tired she was. She had worked for forty-eight hours straight before, sometimes longer during her college days. Her current fatigue was nothing compared to what she had felt then. And so she simply shook it off, ignoring her tiredness as she stretched and rose from the bed. "Where are we going?"

"There's a place a couple blocks over that we can walk to that I'd like to try," Booth told her. She nodded, already heading toward the bathroom.

"Just let me change," she told him.

They had a nice, relaxing brunch at a small café that Booth had discovered before heading to the New York Hall of Science. The kids spent hours exploring the hands-on exhibits that the museum had to offer, eagerly listening to Brennan's explanations of the science behind many of the displays. A number of other kids and even their parents also seemed to be listening to Brennan's impromptu science lessons, and she often found herself surrounded by a sizeable crowd. She was happy to note that Booth also managed to answer some of the kids' questions about how certain things worked. It seemed like he had been paying attention more often than she realized. Of course, she was not surprised by his knowledge of science; despite what he seemed to think or want people to believe, he was an intelligent man. He may not have had a doctorate, but he was not completely ignorant when it came to science.

Their next stop was to the Top of the Rock, and from their perch 850 feet above the ground, they watched the sun set. "You know, Bones, you never fail to amaze me," Booth remarked as the flaming ball sank below the horizon. "I never would have pegged you for the type of person who liked to watch the sun rise and set without analyzing why it did so, but here you are."

"I never did this before," she admitted. "But after watching that sunset on the river with you. . . I don't know, it just seemed like something to do." Though she could not see him, she knew he was smiling, recalling the trip that had been the impetus for their relationship. She had learned to love a lot more than sunsets because of that reunion, and she was thankful every day that he had lied to his old girlfriend.

They ate dinner at a small, cozy, family-style restaurant that was a bit off the beaten path before Booth and the kids had to head for the airport. Brennan went with them despite Booth's insistence that she should go back to the hotel and get some rest, and she found it extraordinarily difficult to release her hold on him when he needed to walk through the security line so he could board the plane. With a heavy heart, she returned to the motel room, finding that it seemed empty now.

The next week passed so slowly that Brennan found herself sometimes staring at the hands of her watch just to reassure herself that time was still moving forward. Though she knew rationally that time could not actually move backwards, her own perceptions of it seemed to imply that it could. She and Booth spoke on the phone every night, and he kept her updated on the kids and on his latest case while she told him of the various events in which she had to participate. She had also linked up to the Jeffersonian a couple times to check in with her team members, and they had given her an update on the latest happenings in the lab.

All in all, when Friday finally came, she was greatly looking forward to going home and, though the thought of relying on someone else still frightened her somewhat, she was looking forward to seeing Booth again. He had insisted on picking her up at the airport despite the fact that her flight came in fairly late and he had the kids to contend with. But he pointed out that Kristen would want to see her right away, adding that he felt the same way. Besides, he reminded her, she did not have a car at the airport, so the most logical solution was for him to pick him up.

And so as she stepped into the baggage claim area, Brennan's eyes were searching the area for the familiar face, knowing that he would be close. And he was. Before she could fully process what was happening, two strong arms wrapped around her from behind, lifting her into the air and pulling her against a hard, muscular chest. She heard giggling nearby and turned her head to see Kristen standing a few feet away, Noah's carseat beside her. Once Booth had set her on the ground again, Kristen ran to her foster mother, and Brennan bent to give the young girl a hug. "I missed you, Tempe," Kristen declared, burying her face in Brennan's neck.

"I missed you, too, honey," Brennan told her. They spent a few more seconds wrapped in each other's arms before Brennan straightened and turned to Booth who still stood behind her, his hands deep in his pockets, watching the scene unfold with a twinkle in his eye. He looked tired, Brennan noted, but not as weary as he had seemed a week before. And he certainly looked happy. A wide grin had settled over his face, clearly displaying the dimples he refused to admit he possessed.

"I think it would be an understatement to say that I missed you," he remarked, closing the distance between them in a single stride. "I haven't really been able to get you out of my head all week." He wrapped his arms around her, but she had other plans, bringing her lips insistently to his. His response was immediate; his arms pulled her closer, and he ground their hips together. After a few seconds, he pulled away with a slight chuckle. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to wait a bit before I can give you a proper greeting." Leaning forward, he whispered, "But just wait until I get you home and alone." He nipped the edge of her ear, smiling at her soft whimper. Then, with a hand at the small of her back, he picked up her bag and slung it over his opposite shoulder before taking Noah's carrier. She placed her own hand on Kristen's shoulder, and they walked out of the airport together.

Kristen was fast asleep by the time they reached Brennan's apartment, and Booth lifted her gently from the back and carried her into the house, placing her in her bed. Soon after Kristen had come to live with her, Brennan had replaced the large bed in her guest room with two smaller ones, one for Kristen and the second for Parker on the nights when Booth stayed over (nights which were becoming quite frequent) and had him. Booth had been especially pleased by the gesture; though Brennan pointed out that it was only logical for her to have two beds given the situation, he insisted on making the switch something more. And in truth, Brennan realized that it was something more. It was an acknowledgement of how close the two had grown that Brennan would consider his son in her life, that she would make concessions for the small boy she had slowly grown to love. She supposed she should be running for the door before things between her and Booth grew too serious, but they were already more serious than they had been with any of her previous lovers. And surprisingly enough, that did not scare her so much anymore.

Once Kristen was safely in her bed and Noah in his crib, Booth turned on the baby monitor in the guest room and made his way quietly to what had once been Brennan's bedroom but which now seemed to belong to both of them. He heard her moving around in the bathroom, preparing for bed, and he walked over to find the door open. She was rinsing the soap off her face when she suddenly felt his arms at her sides, his palms gripping the sink as he pressed against her. His lips went to the back of her neck, pressing heated kisses at the skin he found exposed there. "Welcome home, Bones," he mumbled against her tantalizing skin. She groaned as he licked a sensitive spot, one right below her ear that he knew drove her crazy. She could already feel his arousal pressed against her, and she bucked her hips back against him, hearing his sharp intake of breath at the contact. "Come on, Bones, let's go to bed," he growled, pulling her closer to his chest before lifting her into his arms and carrying her into the bedroom.

Brennan woke the next morning groggy and content, the warm, comforting weight of Booth's arm still at her waist. It took her a few seconds to register a loud knocking coming from the direction of her living room; she carefully extracted herself from Booth's grip, ignoring his grumbled protests and attempts to pull her back down with him. "There's someone at the door, Booth," she told him. He groaned and opened his eyes a crack, gazing up at her naked form.

"It's too early for someone to be at the door. Tell them to leave and come back at a decent hour," he grumbled.

"It's 8:30, Booth," Brennan pointed out, glancing at the clock. He mumbled something indistinguishable into the pillow before pushing himself up into a sitting position. He watched with a sly smile tugging at his lips as she slipped on her underwear and his dress shirt from the previous night. He had not had a chance to change after work before picking her up at the airport, so he had been in a suit when they had arrived back at her apartment, the pieces of which were now scattered around. Not that he minded; it wasn't the first time the pieces of one of his suits had been scattered around the apartment, and he doubted that it would be the last.

When she had finished the buttons of the shirt, he stood, intending to take her in his arms and make her forget about whoever was at the door, but the knocking had become much more insistent, and she slipped away from his arms to exit the bedroom. She found Kristen watching television in the living room; Kristen knew that on weekends when Booth and Brennan slept in, they always preferred if she entertained herself for an hour or so after she woke, and she was happy to do so.

"Did you sleep well?" Brennan inquired as she passed her foster daughter, running an affectionate hand over the girl's head. Kristen nodded, too engrossed in the show to respond properly. Brennan shook her head at the girl's obvious distraction before opening the door to find an impatient artist standing on the other side, her arms crossed over her chest.

"There you are, Sweetie!" she exclaimed. "I was starting to get worried about you."

"Sorry, I was sleeping," Brennan admitted truthfully. "What are you doing here, Ange?" She tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

"Thanks for making a girl feel appreciated," Angela remarked, smiling as she said it to assure Brennan that she was not truly upset. She stepped past her friend into the apartment, greeting Kristen quickly before turning back to Brennan. "I just thought that after your book tour, you might want to unwind a little. I figured we could drop Noah off with Booth and take Kristen shopping with us, have a little girls time, and you could tell me all about your trip."

Brennan considered the offer for a moment; though she had never particularly enjoyed shopping, she did like spending time with her friend, and the proposition did not seem half bad. "Okay," she agreed. "Let me shower and get dressed. You mind staying out here with Kristen for a little bit?"

"Not at all. Kristen and I will get along just fine."

Nodding, Brennan reentered the bedroom to find Booth up and dressed in his sweatpants. "Angela's here," she informed her partner. "She wants to go shopping and talk about the trip." He nodded.

"Sounds like fun. So I take it you told her then?"

"Told her what?"

"About us."

"No, I'm still trying to find the right time."

"Well, I think she probably knows now."

"Why? She hasn't seen you yet. All you have to do is stay in here until we leave, and she'll never suspect a thing," Brennan reasoned.

"Oh, I'm sure she suspects plenty already. You're wearing my shirt."

"So? There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for that fact. Maybe one of my previous lovers left it, and I find it comfortable to sleep in."

Without warning, Booth stepped forward and kissed her fiercely. When he pulled back, there was a fire in his eyes that Brennan had seen only a few times before. "You're not wearing anything that belongs to anyone you had a previous relationship with," he said firmly. He knew she would object, to point out that he was acting like an alpha-male again, but before she could launch into one of her speeches, a cry sounded over the baby monitor. He started to move, but she stopped him with a firm hand on his chest.

"Angela, remember?" she reminded him, slipping out of the door and into the guest room. As she came out with Noah in her arms and headed toward the kitchen to fix him a bottle, Angela approached her.

"Don't think I didn't notice what you were wearing, Sweetie," she said, watching as Brennan quickly filled the bottle and heated it, her hands performing the task almost automatically now after four weeks of practice. "That's a man's shirt."

"It was in my closet, and I thought it would be comfortable."

"Bull. You had a guy here last night, and if I'm not mistaken, he's still here." Brennan's silence betrayed her. She really was a terrible liar, especially when it came to Angela and Booth. Angela's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Sweetie, I'm all for having sex with whoever you want, you know that, but you've got the kids to think about now. You can't just go bringing home some random guy off the street."

"He's not some random guy off the street!" Brennan objected.

"Then who is he?"

"No one," Brennan answered quickly. She was not ready to reveal her secret, not yet. It was something she wanted to keep special and private for just a little longer.

"No one? Is no one from New York?"

"No," Brennan answered truthfully. "Look, Ange, I assure you that I have everything under control. I'm not going to do anything to hurt the kids."

Angela's eyes searched her friend's for a moment. "I believe you when you say that," she finally declared. "Now, I'll take care of this little guy while you go shower and change. And you should tell mystery guy to come out. I'd like to meet him." Brennan rolled her eyes at the last comment but still passed Noah to Angela as she made her way back to the bedroom. Once Brennan was gone with the door closed behind her, Angela sat down next to Kristen. "Whatcha watching?" she asked.

"Tom and Jerry," she answered. Angela nodded.

"Do you know if Tempe's dating anyone?" Angela questioned casually after a few minutes. She immediately noted Kristen's increased breathing rate and the girl's inability to meet her eye. Yes, she was definitely hiding something.

"No, not that I know of," Kristen lied. "Why?"

"No reason. That's a nice suit jacket you have over there." Angela nodded to Booth's suit jacket which hung over a chair. Kristen's eyes darted to it.

"I think Tempe found it when she was cleaning out her closet the other day," Kristen lied quickly. "She said something about it being her dad's. I'll just take it back to her." Kristen started to rise from the couch, but before she could go very far, Brennan breezed out of her room, her hair wrapped in a towel on top of her head.

"Angela, leave Kristen alone," Brennan told her nosy friend.

"I'm just trying to figure out who this new man is in my best friend's life. I still don't know why you won't just tell me."

"Because what we have is still pretty new and we're just trying to get used to it ourselves before we involve a bunch of people."

"How long has it been going on?"

Brennan was quiet for a few seconds. "Three and a half months," she finally replied.

Angela's jaw dropped. "Three and a half months? And you still haven't said anything? You always tell me about the guys you date right away. And I can't remember the last one that lasted three and a half months."

"Look, this is different. He's different."

Angela studied her friend critically for a moment before gasping. "You're in love," she realized. "You've finally told a guy you love him." Brennan's silence confirmed the accuracy of Angela's statement. She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh my God, Sweetie, I can't believe this! I'm so happy for you! So, who is it?"

"Ange, can you please just wait a little longer? I'll tell you eventually, I promise, I just. . . really like things the way they are now."

"This isn't some loser I'm not going to approve of, is it? He's not going to leave you to sail across the Caribbean like Sully did?"

"He's not going to leave me, Ange. He's a good guy."

"Wait, does Booth know about him?" Angela wondered, wishing she could see the agent's face if he ever found out. Brennan sighed.

"Booth-" Her sentence was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Both women stared at each other for a few seconds before realizing that the ringing was coming from the jacket still slung over the back of the chair. Immediately, they began to search the pockets for the source of the ringing; luckily, Brennan found the phone first. "Hello?" she answered, already moving toward the bedroom. "Yes. . . Okay. . ." When she entered the room, she passed the phone to Booth who was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling on his sneakers so he could go running. He took the phone from her, speaking quietly into it, and she left the room.

In the living room, she found her friend staring at something in her hands. It took Brennan a moment to realize that Angela was holding Booth's badge, a dumbfounded look on her face. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Brennan realized her friend must have found the badge when they were searching for the phone. It seemed their secret was out. "Sweetie?" Angela questioned, raising her eyes from the badge so that they met Brennan's. Brennan confirmed with a nod; she was tired of lying to her friend anyway.

Angela let out a squeal which probably woke up everyone in Brennan's building before flinging her arms around her friend. "Oh my God, oh my God, three and a half months? And you never told me? I thought I was your best friend."

"You are, Ange," Brennan assured her. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, but it was just so new, and we didn't really want anyone else interfering yet. But you would've been the first to know. Well, after Parker and Kristen; they already know."

"I should be mad at you, but I'm so happy for you two that I can't be. Where is Agent Hot Stuff anyway? Is he still hiding?" She glanced around the room.

"Told you she'd figure it out," Booth remarked, emerging from the bedroom in sweatpants, a t-shirt, and running shoes. "In fact, I'm really surprised we managed to keep it from her this long. I'm going for a run."

"Oh, can I come?" Kristen questioned.

"Aren't you going shopping with Bones and Angela?" Booth asked her.

"Don't worry, we'll wait until you two get back," Angela assured him. "There are some things I want to talk to Bren about anyway."

"Okay, Munchkin, go get your clothes on." Kristen raced off to her bedroom as Booth turned to the two women. "That was another agent on the phone. I'm going to need to go in for a little while this afternoon to finish up some paperwork."

"Do you want us to take Noah?" Brennan offered.

"Nah, I'll take him. I can just bring him in with me; I shouldn't be there more than an hour anyway. And if anyone complains, I'll just remind them that I'm not supposed to be working today anyway." As he finished speaking, Kristen came running out of her bedroom in an outfit similar to Booth's with her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. "Well, I think we're going to get going. We should be back in forty-five minutes to an hour." He hesitated briefly before leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to Brennan's lips. "I'll see you then," he promised, ignoring Angela's muted squeal when their lips made contact.

When the door had closed behind Booth and Kristen, Angela turned to Brennan expectantly. "Okay, I want details. When did this happen and how? How is he? How many times have you done the deed? What kind of kisser is he? Did you-"

"Angela!" Brennan held up a hand to stop the stream of questions which poured from her friend's mouth. "I can only answer one question at a time." She took a seat on the couch, and Angela sat next to her, absentmindedly stroking Chance's head when the puppy came up to her. Chance had more than doubled in size in the six weeks he had been living with Brennan, and Brennan suspected he was going to be a big dog. He was definitely a mutt, likely with a good deal of Labrador in him and possibly some pit bull, too. He had soft, short fur that was a mix of brown and black, dark brown eyes, a long, slightly curved tail, and ears that hung down on the side of his face. The kids loved him, and Kristen had already started working with him on basic commands before he started obedience school in the coming week.

"Okay, so we'll start with the first question. How did this happen?" Brennan sighed, shifting Noah in her arms so that the baby rested against her shoulder. For the next ten minutes, she told the story of Booth's reunion and the events which had brought them together. When she was done, Angela asked, "So, how was it?"

"How was what?"

"The sex, Sweetie. Because I have to say, he seems like the type that knows a thing or two about pleasing a woman, but looks can be deceiving."

"The sex is. . . like nothing I've ever experienced," Brennan admitted candidly. "It's amazing and wonderful, and I know it's just a release of endorphins in my brain, but. . . what?" She looked at Angela who wore a giddy smile on her face.

"Nothing, Sweetie. It's just that I've never seen you in love before."

Brennan returned the smile. "I didn't know it would feel like this."

"I'm so happy you two finally got your heads out of your asses, Sweetie, and decided to do something. You both deserve to be happy."

"Thanks, Angela, that means a lot." The friends spent the next few minutes discussing various aspects of Booth and Brennan's relationship, and Brennan found herself divulging information that she was sure Booth would have rather had kept secret, but Angela was, after all, her best female friend. And besides, Brennan had learned long before that it was often better to provide Angela with the information she wanted because she would not give up until she received it.

When Booth and Kristen came back, he sent her immediately to the shower and started to head toward the bedroom to find clean clothes when Angela's voice stopped him. "Hey, stud, seven times in one night, huh?" she questioned.

His neck went red, and he turned to the two women with his cheeks flaming. "Bones!" he hissed in a strangled voice.

"What?" she questioned, truly confused. "Angela asked, and I didn't see any harm in telling her. It's not like it's anything that should embarrass you; in fact, most men are happy to prove their sexual prowess."

"I just think there's some things which should stay in the bedroom, okay?"

"But it wasn't all in the bedroom," Brennan pointed out logically. Booth let out a groan of frustration and threw up his hands, disappearing into the bedroom with Angela laughing at his discomfort. He knew she would be asking for that particular story, and he knew Bones would happily provide it. Sometimes, he wished the woman could have more discretion. Of course, she was right; he wasn't embarrassed about that night; in fact, he was actually quite proud of it. He just did not need Angela commenting about it all the time.

When Kristen was finished with her shower, Booth joined her, Angela, and Brennan in the living room. Noah had gone back to sleep, so Brennan had returned him to his crib. "Hey, Angela, are you free tonight?" he questioned.

"I am, but aren't you already taken?" Angela teased. He rolled his eyes.

"I was just wondering if you could watch the kids for awhile tonight."

"Sure. I could even take them overnight if you want to try to beat your record." She winked slyly at him, but he ignored her.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later then. Have fun." He bent over, and Brennan knew he intended to give her a short peck on the lips as he had earlier. He was rarely overly-demonstrative in front of other people, and she suspected he would be especially careful about his demonstrations of affection in front of Angela. However, she had no qualms about kissing him in front of her friend, and she stopped him from pulling away quickly by wrapping her arms around him, standing up in front of him to deepen the kiss. He responded as she had expected, his arms moving around her waist, his hands making their way under her shirt to the small of her back.

"Now that was hot," Angela remarked as they separated, both a little breathless.

"Right. Well, um, I'll see you. . . sometime." And with that, Booth disappeared into the bathroom to take his shower. Angela and Brennan both laughed as they made their way together out the door, Kristen following close behind.

All in all, the shopping trip went much better than Brennan had expected. It was nice to talk to Angela, to share stories with her about the ups and downs of her relationship with Booth. They spent awhile wandering around the shops, and Angela forced Brennan to buy a couple dresses that she never would have even considered buying otherwise. Most of the clothing they ended up with, however, was for Kristen who was much more willing than Brennan to try something on at Angela's urging. They had lunch in the food court and spent the first half of the afternoon shopping before heading back to Brennan's apartment. When they entered, they found that Booth had left with Noah. Seeing a note on the refrigerator, Brennan pulled it off and read it aloud. "Bones," she read. "I've got Noah. I'll be by to pick you up at 6:00 tonight. And tell Angela it's dressy casual." She looked up at her friend.

"Well, Sweetie, that gives you an hour and a half to get ready. Now, let's see what we can pick out for you." With that, Angela herded Brennan into her room.

With Angela and Kristen's help, Brennan was ready by 5:45. When she heard the knock at the door, she answered it immediately to find Booth standing on the other side in black jeans and a blue shirt with a black coat. He took in Brennan's appearance slowly, a smile spreading over his face. "You look great, Bones," he informed her, leaning forward to kiss her. When they pulled apart, she stepped back to allow him to enter the apartment where he found Angela engrossed in a card game with Kristen. "Thanks for watching them, Ange," he told her, setting Noah's carseat down in front of her. The baby stirred but did not wake.

"It's not a problem," Angela assured him, her eyes never leaving the cards in her hand. With a triumphant smile, she selected one and played it.

"We won't be far if you need us, and you have our cell phone numbers. We should be back by 10:30 or so." Angela waved off his instructions.

"Don't worry about it. I actually don't mind spending the night here with these two if you two want to have the night to yourselves."

"Angela, that's really not-"

"Think of it as a present for finally coming to your senses," Angela interrupted. "Now, go, don't worry about us. I don't want to see you two until morning." Standing, she started to shoo the two partners from the room. As she closed the door behind them, Brennan turned to Booth in confusion.

"I think I was just kicked out of my own apartment," she told him. He laughed.

"Well, this is one nice thing about Angela knowing. Now, we have a babysitter so we can have a kid-free night to ourselves." Leaning closer, he pressed his lips to hers, and she moaned into the kiss, moving closer to him.

"What do you say we just stay in tonight?" she suggested breathlessly.

"I already have dinner reservations. So come on, let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

The restaurant Booth had picked was small but cozy in a remote part of town that Brennan had never visited before. The decorations were tasteful, their colors muted which helped them to fit into the overall atmosphere of the place. They were led to a table in the back corner of the restaurant, and Booth slid into the maroon-colored booth beside Brennan as the hostess passed them menus. The waiter arrived less than a minute after they were seated, and they gave him their drink orders before settling back in the booth, Booth's arm around Brennan's shoulders, holding her close against his side. They talked amicably as they perused the menus, Booth's hand tracing random patterns on Brennan's upper arm. In a couple minutes, the waiter returned with their drinks, and they both ordered.

The food was excellent, and Booth and Brennan both quickly cleared their plates. After a short debate, Booth finally picked up the check and gave it and his credit card to the waitress. They left the restaurant pressed tightly together, Booth's arm around Brennan's waist. Despite her pleading, he refused to tell her where they were going, even going so far as to threaten to blindfold her at one point if she did not stop pestering him. Eventually, she did fall silent as he drove them to their final destination, pulling off in a darkened clearing near the top of a hill. "Come on, Bones, let's get going," he said, opening his door. She stepped out, and his arm again encircled her waist as he brought her to the back of the car. Opening the back door, he pulled out a blanket which he slung over his shoulder. Motioning for her to follow, he led her the rest of the way up the hill. They stopped at the top, and he set the blanket on the ground so that he could wrap his arms around her and pull her close. The stars twinkled brightly above them as he pressed his lips to her neck. "Are you up for teaching another lesson on the constellations?" he questioned against her skin. His arms pulled her closer to him.

"I think I could do that," she agreed. With a smile, he pressed another kiss to her neck before releasing her and turning to unfold the blanket. Once it was spread over the ground, he lay down on top, patting the space beside him. Without hesitation, she lowered herself to the ground next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as they both gazed at the stars. Her arms came up to point out each constellation as she named it, and he listened attentively for a few minutes before becoming distracted.

They returned to Booth's apartment that night, and made the most of their kid-free night before they both fell into a deep sleep, sated and happy. Without an eight-week-old, it was the best night's sleep Booth had had in awhile, and he woke feeling completely refreshed. Brennan woke soon after him, and they spent an enjoyable hour in bed before he forced himself to get up and get ready for church. He dropped Brennan off at her apartment and picked up Kristen, and the two went on to church. Booth knew he would be pestered by Angela when he returned, for Brennan was likely to give her all the details of the previous night, but he could not bring himself to care. Nothing could wipe the grin from his face.

Angela was still at Brennan's apartment when he returned, and she left, giving him a knowing wink as he passed. He rolled his eyes but made no comment, instead disappearing into the kitchen to prepare lunch. They spent the afternoon at the park playing every sport imaginable until finally traipsing home exhausted and sweaty. After showers and some work on Kristen's lessons, they had dinner while watching a movie, and Booth went to bed that night still feeling unbelievably happy.

After his run the following morning, Booth was sitting on the side of the bed waiting for Brennan to finish in the shower when his phone rang. One look at the number told him all he needed to know, and he answered it with pen and paper already in hand. He listened to the agent on the other end speak, and he wrote down the address before promising to be there within two hours. Hanging up, he set the paper aside and slipped into the bathroom just as Brennan was coming out of the shower. "We have a case," he said simply, already stripping off his sweaty clothes. She nodded in acknowledgement, toweling her hair dry as he turned on the water.

They ate breakfast on the way to Kristen's school and made a quick stop at the Jeffersonian to drop Noah off and grab everything that Brennan needed before heading to the crime scene. Booth pulled the SUV up next to a long pier just under two hours after receiving the call that morning. Yellow crime scene tape already sectioned off the area, and Booth crossed under it first, holding it up so that Brennan could follow behind him. Another agent met them as they stepped onto the damp boards of the pier. "The body was found by a couple workers this morning. They were trying to move a crate when the straps on the crane snapped, and the crate smashed into another one. That's when they discovered. . . well, you'll see." He led them across the pier, stopping in front of a large crate, the front of which was missing. Police officers and agents moved about the area, often stopping to greet Booth who acknowledged their greetings with a nod.

"What've we got, Bones?" he inquired as she stepped into the crate, moving to the back where a decomposing skeleton rested against the wood in a seated position. The face was contorted into a gruesome expression, and Booth grimaced slightly as he moved closer, leaning over the body.

"The victim is female," Brennan said, peering at the bones as she pulled on a pair of latex gloves. "Third molars haven't yet come in, so I would place age as early to mid-teens." The agent standing behind the two partners sighed.

"We get this all too often. Young girls brought over from China or Japan in these big crates and then forgotten about, left here until they die from dehydration."

"While that may be true, that's not the case here," Brennan said, inching closer to the skeleton. "Retreating zygomatics and a nasal sill indicate that the victim was Caucasian. Also, this girl didn't die from starvation. Marks on the ribs indicate that she was stabbed repeatedly." She pointed to the marks as she explained. '

"So we're not dealing with someone smuggling people?" Booth questioned.

Brennan shook her head. "No, this was definitely murder."

"Okay. Well, you just do your thing here, and I'm going to go talk to the people who found the body." Booth stood, his hands on his hips, and exited the crate.

An interview with a slightly distressed crane operator provided no additional information, nor did any of the other witnesses milling about the pier that Booth interviewed. No one had any idea who the girl could be nor where the crate might have come from. Somewhat frustrated, Booth returned to where Brennan still crouched in the crate. "Find anything?"

"Some larvae for Hodgins," she announced, holding up a jar. Booth made a face as he backed away from the jar.

"Great. I'm sure he'll be pleased."

Unsurprisingly, he was pleased. "Trogidae and Staphylinid," he announced, sounding grotesquely excited by the wriggling creatures that Brennan had presented him with. Booth shook his head and held up a hand.

"Does that tell us anything?"

"Oh, it tells us plenty. For one thing, based on the stage of life at which the babies are, I can place time of death at 20 to 25 days ago."

"Great. Can you tell me where she was killed?"

Hodgins frowned. "Not exactly. I've analyzed the clothes, but the soil composition simply places her in the Maryland/ Virginia area. I can't get anymore specific than that. Brennan also found this while she was examining the body." He held up a plastic evidence bag which contained a rubber glove.

"Is that a latex glove?"

"Yep. Seems your guy was prepared, but he was careless. I'll analyze the inside of the glove, see if I can get any fingerprints off of it."

"Great. Just keep. . . doing whatever the hell you do." Booth spun around, making his way quickly to the platform where Brennan and Wendall were examining the now clean skeleton, Cam standing close by. "You find anything, Bones?"

"My initial idea of cause of death seems to be correct. There are multiple knife marks on ribs three through nine, all which seem to have been made by a serrated blade. I'm not sure of the exact type of knife; however, we may be able to reconstruct a model of it based on these marks."

"So I heard congratulations are in order, Seeley," Cam remarked from where she stood beside the computer. Booth turned to look at her. "Angela told me this morning. I must say, Sweets is going to be over the moon."

Booth glared at Brennan who sensed his gaze. "I told her she didn't have to worry about keeping it a secret," Brennan informed him without looking up. "I don't know if she would have been able to anyway. And I thought you would be okay with the idea; you're the one who has been asking me to tell them for awhile."

"I don't care if they know, Bones, this just means I'm going to have to tell my boss before he finds out from someone other than me." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "Wait, why is Sweets going to be so happy."

Cam looked at Booth with a smile. "He bet on three years," she informed him.

"Gah, why can't any of you squints just mind your own business?" he questioned in frustration. Cam chuckled, and Wendall hid a smile.

"Her collarbone was broken when she was younger," Brennan announced in an attempt to steer the conversation back on track. "Also, there is a healed fracture to her tibia, likely another childhood injury."

"Abuse?" Booth wondered. Brennan shook her head.

"No, there are no signs of any other trauma to the bones. I would say these are just typical injuries that any active child might receive."

"Okay. I need to go see Cullen, and I'll start checking through Missing Persons. Have Angela send me a face when she gets one."

The meeting with Cullen went better than Booth had expected. His boss had agreed to leave him and Brennan partnered together as long as their relationship did not affect their work and as long as they continued to see Sweets. The conditions were not as horrible as Booth had expected, so he readily agreed to them. After leaving Cullen's office, he headed straight for his own, hoping to give their victim a name.

"Michelle Woods, age fifteen," Booth announced an hour and a half later as he entered the Jeffersonian. Cam, Brennan, and Hodgins turned to look at him from where they stood on the platform. "They haven't confirmed with dentals yet, but she looks similar to the photo Angela sent over." He held out both photos for comparison. "Reported missing by her mother Jennifer Paulson on October 26, 2008. Five foot six and 115 pounds. Broke her collarbone when she was five and her leg at seven."

"That certainly sounds like our victim," Cam agreed.

"Come on, Bones, let's go grab some lunch. By that time, we should have confirmation from dental records, and we can inform the parents."

They sat in their usual booth in the diner, discussing the case as they waited for their food to come. As soon as Brennan's plate was placed in front of her, she paused in the middle of an impassioned argument, and Booth saw her face go pale. "Bones? You okay?" he questioned. Instead of responding, however, she threw a hand over her mouth, racing back to the bathroom to find it locked. Turning quickly, she caught sight of a trashcan and bent over it just in time, emptying the contents of her stomach into it. Booth was at her side in an instant, one hand gently pulling her hair from her face as his other hand rubbed comforting circles on her back.

By the time she had completely rid herself of her breakfast that morning, she had lost all color to her face and was shaking slightly. "Bones?" Booth asked again, his voice full of concern. Seeing that the bathroom was now unoccupied, she pulled away from him, entering it to wipe the cold sweat from her face. When she came out again, she looked slightly better. He was waiting beside the door for her. "Bones, are you sure you're okay? Maybe I should take you home."

"No, Booth, I'm fine," she insisted though in truth, her stomach was still churning dangerously. "It was probably just something I ate." He looked at her skeptically.

"Bones, I think-"

"Booth, we need to notify the family. I'll be fine." She sat back down in the chair, but he noticed that she pushed her food away. He could tell she was not as "fine" as she claimed to be, but he also knew that with Bones, it was best not to push. And so he finished his meal quickly and asked for a to-go box for hers, thinking that she might want it later if her stomach settled. The waitress inquired if she was okay, and she waved off her concern, feeding the girl the same line about something she ate that she had fed Booth.

They stopped at a small house outside of DC where Michelle had lived. The woman who answered the door looked to be no older than Booth himself with wavy blond hair and too much make-up. She was the type of woman Booth would have once been attracted to instantly; now, however, he could not help but think that she seemed fake. Everything about her just seemed too perfect. "Yes?" she asked.

"Mrs. Paulson?" Booth questioned. The woman nodded. "I'm Agent Booth and this is Dr. Brennan. Would you mind if we came in to speak to you for a bit? It's about Michelle."

"Of course. Come on in." She motioned them into the house, and Booth quickly sidestepped an energetic blond toddler who came barreling through, skidding to a halt just before colliding with the door. "No running in the house, Jimmy," Jennifer scolded. The small boy obediently slowed as he disappeared into the living room. Jennifer led the two partners through the same doorway, motioning them to sit on an old, worn couch in the center of the room. "I suppose since you're here, that means you didn't find her alive," Jennifer guessed. Booth nodded sadly.

"I'm afraid so, ma'am."

Jennifer bit the inside of her lip and glanced off to the side for a moment before managing to compose herself. "I was afraid of that," she told them. "Did she suffer?"

"Based on the injuries, I would say she died fairly quickly," Brennan told her.

"That's good. I wouldn't want her to suffer. Can you tell me how. . . how she died?"

"There were multiple stab wounds to her torso," Brennan explained.

"Stabbed? Oh God!" Jennifer's eyes filled with tears.

"Ma'am, I know this is difficult, but we need to ask you a few questions," Booth said, leaning forward slightly. Jennifer gave him a slightly shaky smile.

"Of course."

"What was your relationship with your daughter?" Brennan queried.

"I had Michelle when I was eighteen, just out of high school, so we were fairly close, closer than most mothers and daughters. She would tell me about her friends and who she liked and what she did in school. She was always so open with me."

"And did she mention any enemies?" Booth asked.

Jennifer shook her head. "No. Michelle wasn't the most popular girl in school, but she was well-liked. She made friends easily because she wasn't afraid to talk to anyone. But she only had a couple close friends—Grace Milton and Hannah Tammon. Grace lives next door, and Hannah used to live down the street until she moved a couple years ago. Those three have known each other since we moved in here when Michelle was seven. They're pretty much inseparable."

"Any problems that you noticed before she disappeared?" Brennan questioned. "Maybe she seemed distant or maybe her grades were slipping."

Jennifer shook her head, taking a tissue from a nearby box to dab at her eyes. "No, she seemed the same as always. She was always a B-average student, and that hadn't changed."

"Was Michelle involved in drugs or-"

"No!" Jennifer exclaimed vehemently, cutting Brennan off with a wave of her hand. "Michelle was _never _into anything like that. She was a good kid."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Paulson, but these are questions we have to ask," Booth told her in a calming voice. "Do you know if Michelle had a boyfriend?"

"Yes, Kyle Henderson. He was a year ahead of her in school; they've been going out for maybe three months or so now. But he didn't do anything; I'm sure of it. I've met him a few times, and he's a nice boy. I know his mother, too."

"What about her father?" Booth questioned. "Is he in the picture?"

"He was never in the picture," Jennifer said bitterly. "As soon as he found out I was pregnant, he wanted nothing to do with me. It was just Michelle and I for a few years until I met Will—that's my husband. We got married when Michelle was seven, and he raised her as his own. He's the only father she's ever known."

A wail sounded from somewhere behind them, and they all turned to see the small boy sitting on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "If you don't have any more questions, Agent Booth, I need to get my son," she told them.

"That's all I have right now," he told her, standing. "I'm going to leave my card with you so you can call me if you think of anything else."

They stopped next at Michelle's school where they met first with her principal. "I have to say, Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, that I only really get to know the problem children," she told the two partners. "And Michelle was not one of them, so I didn't see her in this office at all. In fact, I did not even know her name until she was reported missing three weeks ago. It's one of the problems with running such a large school. You only ever really notice the squeaky wheel."

"So there were no discipline problems?" Booth inquired.

"None as far as I know. I'll pull her file, but that's really all I can do for you. You might want to speak to some of her teachers. They could probably tell you more."

Booth thanked the principal who handed them Lindsey's file and, at his request, schedules for Grace Milton, Hannah Tammon, and Kyle Henderson. After a glance at all the schedules, Booth decided to stop first at the Spanish class. The teacher, Senor Puerra was young, likely in his early thirties with dark hair and an olive complexion. He was lean and fit if slightly short, and he wore a polo shirt and khakis. He glanced up at Booth irritably when he interrupted the class, but as soon as Booth flashed his badge, the man instructed the class to finish up a listening assignment before stepping out of the classroom with Booth and Brennan. "I'm guessing this is about Michelle Woods," he remarked, shutting the door behind him.

"We were just wondering if you knew anything that could help us."

"I don't know anything more than what I originally told the FBI when the case was first investigated. I didn't know Michelle that well; she was a good student, had a pretty good ear for the language and could make A's in my class with no problem. She was a pleasant student to have in class; I taught her both this year and last and never had any problems with her."

"Did you have any interaction with her outside of the classroom?"

"A little. She was the sophomore class president, and I was the advisor for the sophomore class, so I saw her some at meetings and we discussed various events like the Homecoming Dance. But that was about it."

"And she seemed completely normal in class before she disappeared? No disruptions, no slip in her grades, no unusual behavior?"

"No, nothing."

"All right, thank you. If you don't mind, could we please speak with Hannah Tammon and Grace Milton?"

"Of course, I'll send them right out." As he reentered the classroom, Booth tapped his chin thoughtfully and turned to Brennan.

"I don't know what it is, Bones, but there's something about that guy that's just not right. My gut's telling me he's hiding something."

"Maybe we should bring him in and let Sweets see him."

"Maybe," Booth agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Hannah Tammon and Grace Milton were both tall and thin with sleek brown hair and too much make-up for girls of their age. Both wore designer jeans and both had an air about them that Brennan had felt around too many girls during her own high school days. They were the girls who had teased and poked fun at her, the gawky new kid in school whose parents were gone and who always had her nose buried in a book. But that was high school; she was no longer in high school, and what those girls thought of her no longer mattered (not that it should have mattered then). She was at the top of her field in forensic anthropology and a best-selling author. There was nothing left for her to prove. So why did she suddenly feel self-conscious, like she was about to endure another round of teasing for her hand-me-down clothes or her inability to connect to people and make friends?

Booth seemed to sense her trepidation, for her placed a gentle hand at the small of her back. "Bones, you okay?" he whispered, leaning closer to her.

"I'm fine, Booth," she insisted, standing a little straighter. "I really hated high school," she finally admitted. He chuckled a bit at that.

"Good thing it's over then, huh." He turned to the two girls who had just exited the classroom. "Hannah Tammon and Grace Milton?"

"I'm Grace and she's Hannah," the girl on the right introduced.

"I suppose you know what we're here about."

"Michelle," Hannah guessed. Booth nodded. "She's dead?"

"I'm sorry." Tears gathered in the eyes of both girls. "We just need to go through some routine questions. You girls were close to Michelle?"

"Best friends forever," Grace sniffed.

"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her?" Both girls shook their heads. "What about her boyfriend? Were there any problems there?"

The girls exchanged a look before Hannah spoke up. "They had a fight about a week before she disappeared. He thought she was cheating on her. It was pretty bad, too; there was a lot of screaming and yelling; I think most of the school heard them."

"Did he hurt her?"

"Oh no, Kyle would never do that. But they did decide to call it quits."

"And was she cheating on him?" Brennan questioned.

Grace shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but I know why he was suspicious. She was acting. . . kinda strange lately. I mean, she'd make plans with us and then cancel at the last minute with some lame excuse like that she had to watch her brother or something. When she told me that one time, I actually went over to her house, figuring that he went to bed early and we could hang out after that, but her mom told me she wasn't home. She wasn't with Kyle either."

"And she never told you where she was?"

"No. I confronted her about it, and she just said there was something she had to do, told me to stop being so nosy. I mean, I thought she and Kyle were doing real well up until then. He's cute, funny, popular; most girls want him. I don't see why she was trying to ruin a good thing, and I really don't know why she didn't let her best friends know what was going on. She promised she'd tell me eventually though."

"Do you have any idea who she could have been seeing?"

"I don't really know. The only guys she really hung out with were Kyle's friends, and that was only while he was around. I mean, I guess it could be one of them, but you'd think he'd figure that out, you know?"

After a few more questions, they let the two girls get back to class, and Booth turned to Brennan. "We should finish questioning all her teachers, and then I'm going to get Kyle Henderson and bring him down to the station."

"You always think it's the boyfriend, Booth."

"Jealousy's one of the oldest motives in the book. Guy finds his girl is stepping out on him and then the girl ends up dead? Trust me, Bones, it was probably the boyfriend."

The rest of Michelle's teachers provided no additional information; they, too, described her as a decent student, not the best in the class but above average, who had no discipline problems. No one had any complaints, and no one noticed any differences in her behavior. Booth only hoped Kyle's interview would provide them with more information.

* * *

When Booth entered the interrogation room, Kyle glanced up nervously at the agent, his dark brown eyes full of worry. His lawyer and mother both sat next to him. "I've advised my client not to answer any questions," the lawyer informed Booth.

"What am I doing here?" Kyle questioned, ignoring the glare of his lawyer.

"We're here about your girlfriend," Booth explained, taking a seat on the corner of the table beside Kyle. The boy unconsciously shifted away from him.

"Ex-girlfriend," Kyle corrected.

"She was found murdered today," Booth informed him.

"Murdered?" Kyle stared at Booth for a few seconds, but Booth simply waited. "And you think I had something to do with it? Look, man, we had our differences, sure, but I wouldn't murder her."

"Witnesses say you two had a fight shortly before she disappeared."

"She was cheating on me, so we fought. Big deal. If someone was cheating on you, you'd probably fight with them, too."

"Agent Booth, I assure you that my son is not a murderer," his mother stated, her hand reaching to take Kyle's. He shook her off, turning away from her.

"No one's accusing Kyle of anything, Mrs. Henderson," Booth assured her. "We just want to know a few things about your son's relationship with Michelle. If he's innocent, he has nothing to worry about." He turned back to Kyle. "Now, Kyle, do you mind telling me where you were on October 26?"

Kyle sighed. "I was at a friend's house, like I told the cops the first time."

"And you have the names of people who can confirm this?"

"Yeah, I already gave them to you guys."

"Agent Booth, I really don't see where this is getting us," the lawyer complained.

"Kyle, you said Michelle was cheating on you. Do you know who she was seeing?"

Kyle sighed. "I don't really know. I asked her about it, but she just told me that she wasn't cheating, that I was overreacting. But I wasn't overreacting. I know she was cheating even if I never could figure out who. That's why I broke up with her."

"And how did she take the break up?"

Kyle shrugged. "It didn't seem to bother her much. That's the other reason I knew she was cheating. She really didn't seem to care that we had broken up."

"And how did you take the break up?"

"It was no big deal. Michelle's not the only girl in the school."

"Agent Booth, I believe you have harassed my client enough for one day. Now, if you have no further questions, he needs to get back to school," the lawyer remarked. Booth sat up, moving away from Kyle, and he waved the three out of the room.

* * *

Booth took Brennan back to the Jeffersonian after the interview, and they walked together toward her office. "Still think it was the boyfriend?" Brennan asked.

"I don't know. We need to find this other guy though." Seeing a janitor heading their way pushing a cart with cleaning supplies, he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him to avoid the man. As he passed, the smell of bleach reached Brennan's nostrils, and she felt her stomach turn. She started to pull away from Booth, spinning to try and find the nearest restroom, but her rebellious stomach refused to wait. Before she even had a chance to clamp a hand over her mouth, the lunch that she had eaten an hour before when she thought her stomach had settled suddenly ended up all over Booth's suit. She vaguely heard him calling her name as she spotted a trash can nearby, racing toward it as the next wave of nausea hit.

"Sorry about that, Booth," she apologized when she finally finished, her voice slightly shaky as she straightened, his hand on her back, holding her steady.

"Something's wrong, Bones," he said, his brow creased with worry. "You need to go to a doctor." She shook her head slowly.

"No, no doctor. It's just a stomach bug." She started to move out of his arms and stumbled a bit. His arm was immediately around her waist again, steadying her. She wrinkled her nose. "You stink, Booth." He chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, well, someone didn't like my suit." She smiled, too. "Come on, Bones, why don't you go to your office and lay down? I think I've got a clean shirt in there." With an arm still around her waist, he guided her to the elevator and then up to the Medeco-Legal lab. Angela met them as they walked in. Immediately, her eyes went to Booth's soiled shirt, and her eyebrows shot up.

"What's wrong?"

"Bones isn't feeling well," Booth explained, still steering them toward her office. Angela trailed behind as they walked in. Booth flipped on the lights and pushed Brennan gently down on the couch. He left the room with a promise to return soon, and Angela moved to stand in front of Brennan.

"What's going on, Sweetie?" she questioned.

"Nothing. I just have a 24-hour bug or something. Booth is overreacting."

"He's trying to take care of you, Bren. It's sweet, especially since you already tossed your cookies all over him which can't have been a pleasant experience for him. I'm not sure many guys would stick around after being thrown up on, so do me a favor, Sweetie, and just let him do this. Let yourself be taken care of."

Brennan opened her mouth to tell Angela that she did not need to be taken care of, but Booth returned, carrying a couple folded wet paper towels. "Lie down, Bones," he instructed, enforcing his words with a gentle push to her shoulder. Grudgingly, she obliged, and he placed the paper towels on her forehead, running a finger gently down her cheek. "Need anything else, Bones?"

"There's a bottle of water on my desk. I can get it."

"Nope." He stopped her from getting up with a firm hand on her shoulder. "You're going to lay right here and rest." Standing, he retrieved the water bottle and brought it back to her. She sat up slightly to take a long sip, washing the taste of bile from her mouth. He retrieved her empty coffee cup from that morning which still sat on her desk and held it out to her so she could spit the water into it. Once she had finished washing out her mouth, she swallowed a few sips before recapping the bottle. Booth took it from her hands, setting it and the other cup aside before helping her adjust the pillows on the couch. When she settled down, he pulled the blanket over her and reached for the paper towels which had already grown warm due to the heat from her skin. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he turned the towels around to a cooler side. "Comfortable?" he questioned. She murmured something as her eyes slid shut. He remained where he was for a moment, watching her as he ran a finger gently over her cheek. A throat clearing behind him finally broke his concentration.

"You two are just too cute for words," Angela remarked. Booth glared at her and stood, walking to the other side of the room. Opening the cabinet there, he pulled out a white shirt, shedding his suit jacket before turning expectantly to Angela.

"You have an extra shirt here?" she inquired.

"I have one at my office, too. With the number of times I've been shot or had to go through something particularly disgusting, it seemed like a good idea." He unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, still watching her expectantly.

"What?" she finally asked.

"Aren't you leaving?"

"I thought you were going to give me a strip tease."

"Out, Angela." She giggled as she left the room. Once he was sure the door was closed behind her, he stripped off his shirt and replaced it with a clean one. Setting his old shirt, jacket, and tie aside, he examined his appearance in the mirror. There were a few spots on his pants, but he really could not do much about them as he did not have a spare set of slacks in her office. Sighing, he decided to let them be; they weren't too large. Picking up the trash can beside Brennan's desk, he moved it to the couch just in case and replaced the wet paper towels on her forehead. After pressing a kiss to her temple, he left the office, stopping by Angela's office on his way out. "Hey, Ange, I'm going to pick up the kids. Can you keep an eye on Bones for me?"

"Sure thing, Hot Stuff," Angela promised as he left.

* * *

When he returned forty minutes later, Brennan was still fast asleep on her sofa. Leaving the kids with Angela, he found Hodgins working on something on his computer. "Have you got anything for me?" Booth questioned.

Hodgins swiveled around to face the agent. "Hey, I heard about Dr. B, is she okay?"

"She has some sort of stomach bug. She's sleeping now. So, anything?"

"I unfortunately couldn't get a useable fingerprint off the glove. I did find an odd mixture of chemicals on it though." Hodgins brought up a screen on the computer which showed various lines that Booth could not interpret. "Limonene, specifically the R enantiomer, or d-Limonene, and ethoxylated nonylphenol."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, d-Limonene is a hydrocarbon with a really strong citrus smell; it's used in food manufacturing, some medicines, and in some hand cleaners. It's a clear liquid which has been considered as a biofuel."

"And the other thing? The etha- whatever?"

"Ethoxylated nonylphenol is a surfactant, or a surface active agent. It lowers the surface tension of water so that there is easier spreading and can also lower the interfacial tension between two liquids. It's actually pretty cool; because of these effects, surfactants allow the formation of bubbles which are actually just-"

"Hodgins! What is it used in?"

"Oh, right. Well, it's an industrial grade surfactant. It can be used in manufacturing or for an emulsifier and also in some pesticides. Actually, the government is trying to phase out the use of this chemical now because of possible environmental safety issues."

"So we're looking for a killer who uses some kind of hand soap and either works in manufacturing or with a pesticide?"

"Basically."

"Great, that narrows it down." His voice dripped sarcasm.

"Sorry, but that's all I've got."

"Well, tell me if you find anything else. I'm going to get Bones and the kids home." Booth walked back to Angela's office and was immediately accosted by Kristen who waved a piece of paper in front of his face.

"We had to draw our families in class today," she announced, following him as he walked over to Noah's carrier and picked the baby up, bouncing him against his shoulder. "And I drew you and me and Tempe and Noah and Parker. See?" Booth turned and looked down at the picture.

"That's pretty good," he said honestly, noting that instead of the usual stick figures that kids her age drew, she had actually worked to make the drawings resemble real people. And he did see a certain likeness to them in the picture.

"Angela's been helping me," she announced proudly.

"She has a lot of natural talent," Angela told Booth.

"Well, we'll make sure to hang this on the refrigerator when we go home," Booth promised with a smile.

"Did you see the labels?" Kristen queried. Booth glanced back at the picture; when he saw what had been written beneath the drawing of him and Bones, he looked back up at Kristen quickly, question in his eyes. "That's what everyone else was writing, so I thought I should, too. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?"

Booth was still staring at the picture, slightly shell-shocked. "Um, no, I wouldn't mind at all. But you're going to have to ask Bones."

"Okay!" A sunny smile spread across Kristen's face, and she hugged him tightly before skipping over to Angela and giving her a hug, too. The artist wrapped her arms around the little girl, still watching Booth, who seemed to have forgotten how to move. The words on the picture danced in front of his eyes, written in orange crayon in Kristen's slightly sloppy hand.

_Mom and Dad. _


	5. Chapter 5

Kristen was excitedly showing the picture to Bones almost as soon as the scientist woke despite Booth's warnings that Bones was not feeling well. Unlike Booth, Brennan noticed the labels immediately, and her eyes met his. He saw tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, and the glistening tears confirmed the answer he had known she would give all along. Bending over, she pulled Kristen into her arms and whispered something in the little girl's ear. Kristen's entire face seemed to light up with Brennan's words, and she squeezed harder before letting go, skipping out of the office. "Come on, Mom and Dad!" she called to them. "Let's go home!"

Kristen chatted the whole way to the grocery store where they stopped to pick up food for the week, and she did not stop talking the whole way through the store. In fact, she did not quiet until they reached the house and she started work on her homework. Brennan ignored Booth's pleadings that she lie down, instead joining him in the kitchen to put away the groceries, claiming that she felt fine. After a couple minutes of silence, she remarked, "She thinks of us as her parents."

"I know, Bones."

"Am I ready for this, Booth? I mean, I'm not sure if I can be a mother to someone. I didn't really have the best childhood experience."

Booth placed the last can in the cabinet before moving to her, taking her in his arms and allowing her to bury her face in his shirt. "We're not your parents, Bones. We're not going to leave those two kids. I know that."

"How can you promise that? We face murderers every day. You of all people should know that nothing in this world is certain. What if we get killed tomorrow?"

"Look, Bones, I can't say that that's not going to happen. But I do know that no matter what, this is worth it. Because even if we die tomorrow, we've at least given that little girl a chance at happiness, let her feel loved, even if it was just for a moment. Yes, your heart might break if you open yourself up to love. But you also allow yourself to feel something wonderful, something which makes it all worthwhile." His words grew softer as he spoke, and Brennan knew he was no longer talking about Kristen. She sighed against his chest as he tightened his hold on her. They stood like that for another minute or so until Kristen came bounding into the kitchen, asking about dinner, and they broke apart with a laugh.

After dinner, Kristen convinced Booth to take her to play basketball on an outdoor court near the apartment building. During the time she had been living with Booth and Brennan, Kristen had quickly become a sports fanatic. It seemed that all she wanted to do was kick a soccer ball around or play basketball or throw a football around. She would complete her lessons and was actually doing well in school, but Brennan suspected that this only held true because she wanted to please her foster mother. Kristen knew that academics were important to Brennan, so she spent a good deal of time focusing on them and seemed to enjoy them to some extent. But the real spark appeared in her eye whenever she was playing a sport.

Booth and Brennan had wanted to sign her up for a team in the area to give her something to do in the afternoons. She had wanted to play football and found it inconceivable that girls were not allowed to play. In truth, neither Brennan nor Booth had a very compelling reason for this gender bias; the only excuse they could give her was that there simply was not a football team which allowed girls to play. And no matter how unfair that was, they could not do anything about it. They tried to convince her to take up soccer as a compromise, but she persuaded them to let her play both soccer and basketball as a trade off. They had given in under the condition that she continue to improve in school.

Booth, of course, had been thrilled at her love of sports for it coincided with his own. Parker, too, seemed to enjoy playing various sports with her "even if she was a girl." And since they were both still young, they were pretty evenly matched. They both also had a competitive streak that tended to flair up as they played; Booth had been thrilled to learn this fact, for to him, it meant that they were both going to excel at whatever sport they tried in the future. Parker was already receiving high praise from his indoor soccer coach.

They returned about an hour after they left, and Booth sent Kristen back to take her bath while he collapsed on the sofa, glancing over at Brennan who sat at her desk in the corner of the room writing. A devious grin spread over his face when he noticed how focused she was on her work, and he quietly rose to his feet, approaching her without making a sound. He paused a couple feet from her chair, moving his head so that he could see what she had written. Unfortunately, he must have done something to give himself away, for before he could read more than a sentence, she had closed the window and turned to face him with her eyes narrowed.

"Ah, c'mon Bones!" he whined. Her eyes narrowed further. "Please?" He began to approach her, placing his hands on the arms of her chair so that he could lean forward. "I'll find some way to repay you," he promised, his warm breath caressing her face. She mumbled something indistinct in response, and he grinned as he pressed his lips to hers. Her response was automatic as the feeling of electricity, which had become familiar but nevertheless exciting, spread throughout her body.

Their heated kissing continued for a few minutes until Kristen bounded into the room now in her pajamas with her hair still damp. They reluctantly broke apart and turned to face her, and she regarded them with a critical eye, her arms crossed across her chest. "Were you two kissing again?" she asked in an exasperated, "what am I going to do with them" tone of voice.

Booth chuckled and rocked back on his heels, rising from his crouched position. "That's exactly what we were doing. Now, go pick out a couple books to read tonight. Bones and I will be in in a minute." Obediently, Kristen scurried off, and Booth turned back to Brennan. "Think you can take a break for a bit?" he questioned, extending a hand to help her up. She nodded and stood, ignoring the hand.

* * *

The next morning, they arrived at the lab to find Hodgins already seated at his computer. "Anything new?" Booth inquired.

"There was a scrap of paper in with the clothing," Hodgins told the two partners, bringing up a magnified picture of the paper. It was fairly grimy and torn, but Booth could see markings on it though the exact pattern was indistinguishable.

"What is it?" he questioned.

"Well, I had Angela help me clean it up a bit, and we got this." He pressed a couple buttons, and the image on the screen cleared to show a series numbers. "It doesn't seem to be a simple substitution cipher; I was going to try-"

"Hodgins," Booth interrupted, "there's ten numbers."

"Oh, right." Hodgins frowned at the screen. Booth sighed and rolled his eyes; sometimes, the squints thought too much. Pulling out his phone, he dialed the number on the screen. A few seconds later, a gruff male voice answered.

"Landon Motel," the man grumbled. Booth was not entirely surprised to hear what business the number belonged to. From what he had heard from Michelle's friends, he agreed that she was likely cheating on her boyfriend. After identifying himself, he asked for a location, and the owner provided it. Booth wrote the address down on a notebook he always kept in his pocket before thanking the man and hanging up.

"Come on, Bones, let's go to a motel," he told her, pocketing the notebook. They started to leave, but before they could get very far, Cam called them back.

"Booth! Dr. Brennan!" Booth spun around.

"Yeah, what is it?'

"I was doing a closer examination of the body, and I managed to find some skin under her fingernails. It's fairly degraded, so the best we can hope for is a partial match, but it could give you something to go on. It definitely belongs to a male. I ran it through the system and came up with nothing."

"Okay, thanks, Cam," Booth said before turning again to leave.

* * *

As they drove to the motel, Booth told Brennan his theory about how the boyfriend had discovered Michelle's secret. "I think he caught them together," Booth explained. "And then things got ugly. He probably confronted her, and when she kept denying it, he got really angry. So he grabbed a knife-"

"Booth, stop the car!" Brennan instructed suddenly.

"Bones?" Booth questioned, turning to her as he pulled to the side of the road. He could tell by her tone of voice that it was not the time to argue. As soon as the car stopped, Brennan threw open the door and stumbled onto the grassy shoulder, retching. Concerned, Booth fumbled with the seatbelt for a moment before managing to unlatch it. And for the third time in less than twenty-four hours, he found himself holding his partner's hair back as she emptied the contents of her stomach. "Something's wrong, Bones," he told her again when she finished.

"I'm sure it's just a bug, Booth."

"You should see a doctor." He placed the back of his hand against her forehead and found it slightly warm and damp with sweat.

"A doctor will only tell me what I already know."

"You don't know that. What if it's more serious than a stomach bug? Look, Bones, I know you're strong and independent, but if I was sick, you'd want me to go to a doctor to make sure nothing was seriously wrong, wouldn't you?"

Brennan sighed, and he knew he had won. "Fine, Booth, I'll call and make an appointment," she promised.

"I'll just take you in now," he declared.

"Booth, we're already halfway to the motel, and I feel fine now. The nausea has passed. Let's just go and talk to the motel owner."

"Bones." His voice held a warning tone.

"Please, Booth, I really want to get this case solved. There's no reason a stomach virus should interfere with my ability to do so." He still looked unconvinced. "How about this? You and I will go and interview the motel owner, and then as soon as we get back to the lab, I will call and make a doctor's appointment."

Booth stared at her for a few more minutes, but he knew that she would make no further concessions. Finally, he sighed in defeat. "Fine. But you better be dialing the second you walk into your office."

"It would be physically impossible for me to dial the phone the second I walk into my office. For one thing, the phone is on the opposite side of the room, and I will have to find the number on my computer." Booth simply chuckled.

"Okay, Bones, I'll give you two minutes," he conceded.

* * *

They arrived at the Landon Motel ten minutes later, and Booth immediately started toward the lobby. The man behind the counter glanced up at them when he heard them come in, his tongue moving the toothpick which poked out between his lips to the other side of his mouth. "You the fed that called?" he questioned, immediately noticing Booth's suit. Booth nodded and showed him his badge before pulling a picture of Michelle out of his pocket.

"I was wondering if you've ever seen this girl," he told the man.

The man stared at the picture for a few moments, the toothpick constantly shifting in his mouth until Booth was tempted to just reach across the counter and pull it from his lips. Eventually, the man spoke. "Yeah, I think I remember her. She came in here about four weeks or so ago. Pretty girl."

"Do you remember who she was with?"

"Sort of. He was an older fellow, well, not too old, probably around your age, but there was still sort of a May-December thing going on there which was one of the reasons I remembered them."

Booth and Brennan exchanged a glance. "Can you describe him at all?"

"He was Hispanic. Nicely dressed with slacks and a polo shirt. But that's all I really remember." Booth looked at Brennan again.

"Sound like anyone you know?" he questioned.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So in case you haven't figured out yet, I like science. The science in this chapter is fairly heavy, but it should be accurate just watered down a bit (the real explanation would take way too long). If you don't want to read it, just skip over the part where Hodgins starts talking for awhile; it's not absolutely vital to the story.

* * *

An hour later, Booth stormed into the interrogation room where Tomas Puerra, Michelle's Spanish teacher, sat. Booth took a seat on the edge of the table, leaning close to Tomas, his nostrils flaring and his eyes alight with anger. Countless people had flinched under that gaze, and Tomas was no exception. He leaned back in the chair, his eyes falling to the table. "So you want to stick with your previous claim that you never saw Michelle outside of the classroom and sophomore class meetings?" Booth asked, his voice dangerously low. Tomas was quiet, and Booth slammed his hand on the table, causing him to jump involuntarily. "She's fifteen years old, you bastard. Fifteen! She's still a kid!"

"You don't understand," Tomas told the irate agent. "She wasn't just a kid. She was very mature for her age."

Booth's eyes flashed, and he grabbed the man's shoulders, turning him so that they were face to face. "You're a sick bastard, you know that? You just make up any excuse you can to justify your actions when what you did is not justifiable by any means. People like you make me wonder what the world is coming to."

"She was a willing participant. It was completely consensual."

"She's fifteen. She doesn't know what she wants. You took advantage of her. You're her teacher, for Christ's sakes. She trusted you, and you abused that trust."

"Look, you can yell at me all you want for what I did, but I didn't kill her."

"You already lied to me, Tomas, and I'm sure you'd do it again."

"Look, I promise you, I didn't kill her. I was at home the night she disappeared."

"Was anyone with you?"

"No, I live alone."

"Well, that means no alibi. Now, we found skin under Michelle's fingernails. And if that DNA matches yours, I'm going to personally make sure that you never see the light of day again." And with that, Booth gave Tomas a final shove and strode from the room.

As soon as he reached the Jeffersonian, he went straight for Brennan's office. "Did you call?" he inquired. She sighed in exasperation.

"I called," she assured him. "I have an appointment this Friday."

"Friday? You're not waiting until Friday. Call them back."

"Booth, I can handle this on my own. If my symptoms go away by Friday, then obviously it was just a stomach bug, and there's nothing to worry about. But if they don't go away by then, then it might be something more, so I'll get it checked out."

"What if they get worse before then?" Booth reasoned.

"Then I'll go into the doctor. Right now, all I have is some on and off nausea. As long as I stay hydrated, I'm in no danger."

"Bones, I love you, but you're one of the most frustrating women I've ever met."

Cam entered the office an hour later to find Booth sitting on Brennan's couch, engrossed in the case file, and Brennan's head in his lap as she slept. Cam raised an eyebrow at the agent; she rarely ever saw Brennan take a break during the work day. "She's still sick," Booth explained. "She threw up again about half an hour ago; I don't even know what food she had left in her system. She refuses to go to a doctor until Friday, claims it's nothing. Do you think I should force her to go?"

Cam saw the concern shining in his eyes, and she considered the question for a moment. "If her only symptom is nausea and vomiting, I would say you're most likely dealing with a stomach bug. And if that's the case, all a doctor is going to tell you is to make sure she gets enough rest and has adequate fluid intake. Watch her closely, and if it gets any worse, then take her."

"Thanks, Cam." He smiled at her, but she could tell a shred of doubt still lingered.

"I got the DNA test results back," she announced.

"And?"

"And it's not a match. Sorry, Seeley, but I don't think he's our guy."

Booth nodded, having expected the results since he began talking to Tomas. Tomas had a number of moral issues, but Booth did not sense that he had killed Michelle.

Booth's frustration only increased as the day wore on. Brennan spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon napping as he attempted to find a new lead in the case, but he was unsuccessful. Brennan seemed to be feeling better after her nap; the two had a late lunch before Booth continued with his investigation while she completed some other work that had been piling up. Booth kept a watchful eye on her, making sure she did not over-exert herself, and by the end of the day, she was growing annoyed by his constant watchfulness. "I can take care of myself, Booth," she snapped as he pushed her back down into her chair for the fourth time that day.

"I know, Bones, but you're sick, so let me take care of you. I promise that when I'm sick, you can take care of me, too," he vowed. "Now, what do you need?"

"The stack of folders over there," Brennan told him, pointing, and he immediately turned to retrieve the desired folders for her. When he passed them to her, he glanced at his watch. "I need to go pick up the kids. We'll work for another hour or so, and then we should probably head home. Sound good?"

"There are a number of things I still need to finish, Booth. Maybe you can take the kids home, and I'll just finish up here."

"Nope, Bones, you've been working yourself too hard lately. That's probably the reason you're sick. So you're going to go home and relax." She started to protest again, but he pressed a finger to her lips. "It's either that or the doctor. Your choice." With no other option, she acquiesced.

By the time they left that night, Booth still had not found anything even though his gut was telling him that there was something there and that he just needed to dig a little deeper. He took Kristen to do some more work on the house, and he spent an enjoyable evening laying down tiles, a process he found oddly cathartic. After Kristen was in bed, he sat down on the couch and flipped on the television, extending his arm as an invitation for Brennan to curl up beside him. She moved closer to him, leaning against his side, her mind vaguely focused on the television as Booth washed. A sleepy stillness had settled over them, one which was broken when Brennan suddenly remarked, "I think we should move in together."

It was lucky that Booth had not taken the sip of beer he had been about to take or he would have ended up dousing the carpet and table in front of him with the liquid. As it was, his hand paused with the bottle at his lips, and he turned to look at Brennan, question in his eyes. "What?" he questioned stupidly.

"I think we should move in together," Brennan repeated. "It's a logical step in our relationship. I mean, you're already here most of the time; this would just mean that you can move all your stuff here and you don't have to pay the rent on your apartment anymore. Besides, you're working on the house now, and though we never really reached a formal agreement, I felt that we tacitly agreed that we would live there together. This is just speeding up the process a bit."

"Are you sure this is what you want, Bones? You want me around all the time?"

"You already are."

"Yes, but now you have the freedom to kick me out. If we move in together, it's a lot harder to do that."

"I think this is a good step for our relationship. Do you not want to do this?"

"Of course I want to do this. I would love to move in with you."

"Then let's do it."

Booth chuckled a little bit; it was amazing how when Brennan decided she wanted to do something, she always jumped right into it. She knew exactly what she wanted. "Okay, Bones. Let's move in together."

Of course, the actual process of moving would have to wait until they were finished with the case. But they still celebrated that night, and when Booth walked into work the next morning, his frustration had melted away. Fate, however, refused to permit him his happiness. He started the morning off with back-to-back meetings which never put him in a good mood, and then he tried valiantly for a couple hours but could make no headway on the case. Frustrated, he left to pick up Brennan for lunch, wanting a break from the case.

Brennan told him to wait a few minutes for her to finish something, so he ended up pacing around her office, his eyes scanning every object though he had long ago memorized the contents of the space. His phone rang, and he grimaced when he saw the display. "Hello, Rebecca," he greeted, somewhat glum. He waited a few seconds. "Wait, what? Really. . . Well, congratulations. . . No, of course I'm happy for you. . . No, don't worry, I'm fine. . . Of course, we'd love to have him. . . Uh huh. . . Yeah. . . Sure, I'll just pick him up from school. It'll be fine. Okay. . . Thanks, Rebecca. . . And I really do mean it, congratulations." When he hung up, he found Brennan staring at him curiously, and he hastened to explain. "That was Rebecca. Evidently, she and Drew got engaged. She wants us to take Parker for the night so they can celebrate."

"Does that bother you, that she would accept another man's proposal when she rejected yours?"

Booth chortled. "Jeez, Bones, you sure know how to wound a guy's pride," he joked. "But no, actually, it doesn't bug me at all. What Becca and I had was good, but we were both young and not as in love as we thought. A marriage between us wouldn't have worked out. I'm happy that she found someone else. Just like I have." His last comment earned a small smile from her that he happily returned.

Three hours later, Booth walked into the Jeffersonian, Parker and Kristen at his heels and Noah's carrier in his hands. As they walked through the lab, Parker caught sight of Hodgins, and he suddenly made a beeline in the scientist's direction. "Dr. Hodgins, look what I found!" he exclaimed excitedly, opening his lunch box and pulling out a plastic container. Opening it, he showed his find to Hodgins. Peering over his shoulder, Booth saw that the container contained a bright green bug.

"All right, little man," Hodgins complimented. "Looks like you found yourself a _Tettigoniidae _which most people call katydids. There are actually over six thousand species in that family. It's pretty late in the year to find them though." As Hodgins continued to talk, Booth left the kids with him and walked to Brennan's office. He found her engrossed in work at her computer.

"I thought you were going to get the kids," she remarked when he entered with only Noah, setting the baby's carrier on the ground.

"Parker found a bug, so they're with Hodgins." As he said this, Parker and Kristen both breezed into her office, greeting her with a quick hug.

"Hodgins is going to show us an experiment, Dad!" Parker exclaimed, shedding his backpack and tossing it next to the door as Kristen did the same.

"What kind of experiment?" Booth queried.

"I don't know. But he said we'd like it," Kristen replied before they both bounded out of the room. Somewhat apprehensive, Booth followed them to a room on the side of the lab where Hodgins had set up a two liter bottle in a big rectangular plastic tub. A large, opaque bottle sat on one side of the tub next to a container of dish washing detergent. He poured the clear liquid in the opaque bottle into the bottle, filling it about a third of the way.

"This is hydrogen peroxide," he explained. "You can put it on cuts to kill the bacteria that might get in them and cause an infection." Next, he poured in some detergent and mixed the solution well. "Now, this is just ordinary dishwashing detergent," he explained. "But detergent is really cool. You see, detergent, like most substances, is made of molecules which are just really small bits of the detergent—they're so small you can't see them with just your eyes." Parker and Kristen both sighed.

"We know, Dr. Hodgins. You told us that _weeks_ ago. And you showed us the pictures of them, too." Kristen remembered.

"Right, I did," Hodgins said with a chuckle. "But the molecules of detergent are special because part of the molecule likes water and substances like water such as hydrogen peroxide and the other part doesn't. So the parts of all the detergent that don't like water gather together, and the molecules form little balls which are called micelles." As he spoke, Hodgins drew an approximation of a micelle, showing a circle of dots which were each connected to a squiggly line that pointed to the inside of the circle. "This property is what makes the foam you see when you put dishwashing detergent in water. Basically, a foam is just a gas dispersed in a liquid or solid substance, so it forms bubbles. Bubbles are separated by a thin wall known as a lamella. These detergent molecules are all at that lamella, and because of the way they have the two different parts, they create electric charges at the surface which push away other surfaces, so the bubbles are stable.

Also, these molecules hang out at the surface of liquids and reduce the surface tension which is what keeps the molecules at the surface together. There's this effect called the Marangoni effect which is pretty cool. Because of it, a liquid with a higher surface tension has a stronger pull than a liquid with a lower surface tension. So when the surfactants lower the surface tension, this stabilizes a foam because the air doesn't go out of the bubbles. This is why foam forms when you use a detergent. There's also some stuff with elasticity, but we'll leave that for now." Booth had no idea whether or not the kids were following Hodgins' explanation, but they were nodding, so he decided that part of it at least must have gotten through. After the large amount of time they had spent in the Jeffersonian, they would sometimes spout off science that he did not understand.

"So, now I have hydrogen peroxide with detergent in there. You can see there's a little bit of foam but not much." He pointed to a few bubbles on top of the mixture. "Now, I'm going to take this potassium iodide solution. It's saturated which means there's enough potassium iodide in there that I can't add any more and get it to dissolve. Watch." Carefully, he poured a small amount of the iodide solution into the two liter bottle. Immediately, a thick white foam formed, rapidly rising to the top and then shooting out the small opening in the top of the bottle, rising around three feet in the air before falling into the plastic container. Both kids and Hodgins were laughing, and Booth had to admit, it was pretty cool.

"Cool!" Kristen exclaimed.

"Why'd it do that?" Parker wondered.

"Well, the iodide catalyzed the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide," Hodgins explained. "Basically, it made the hydrogen peroxide turn into oxygen gas and water more quickly. And the oxygen gas got trapped because of the detergent and formed the foam." Suddenly, Hodgins broke off and slapped his hand to his forehead. "I'm an idiot!" he told Booth as the kids watched the foam start to yellow.

"Why?"

"d-Limonene and ethoxylated nonylphenol. I assumed they were used for two different things. But d-Limonene can also be used as a solvent. And when you put those two together, you get an industrial detergent and degreaser used for oily surfaces. There were also traces of an acrylic copolymer thickener. "

"I don't see where you're going with this, Hodgins."

In answer, Hodgins turned to his computer and typed in a few phrases. A minute later, he turned back to Booth. "There's a patent for the exact components for a cleaner used for oil rigs," Hodgins told Booth.

"The pier where she was found is the where some PSV's for oil rigs depart," Booth said. "Good work, Hodgins. Parker, Kristen, why don't you come play in Bones' office?" Booth suggested, motioning to the kids.

"Actually, I've got a couple more experiments if you want me to show them," Hodgins said.

Booth was slightly wary, but he also needed to find a computer and see what he could do with the new information Hodgins had given him. "Fine. Just be careful," he warned. Hodgins nodded, already turning back to the chemicals in front of him. Booth watched for a moment before sighing and leaving to room to find Bones.


	7. Chapter 7

As he walked towards Brennan's office, Booth was stopped by Wendell. "Agent Booth, I've figured out which knife was used on the victim," he announced, holding up a long knife with a black handle. Booth took it from him automatically, glancing at it briefly. "It's a standard kitchen knife, but the serrations are curved rather than straight." He pointed this out to Booth.

"Okay, we'll look for a knife like that," Booth said distractedly, already turning back toward Brennan's office. "Bones, I've got new information," he announced, entering the office. "I'm going to go check on a new lead that Hodgins found. Parker and Kristen are with Hodgins now." Brennan looked up at him.

"You might want to put the knife down," she suggested. Slightly surprised, he looked down to find that he still held the knife that Wendell had passed him.

"Right. Our murder weapon looks something like this," he told her, placing the knife on her desk. "I'll call you if I find anything," he promised, already heading out.

An hour and a half later, Booth and Brennan were both sitting in the interrogation room with Michelle's step father, Jack Paulson. "In October, you were working on a platform supply vessel," Booth said, his normally warm brown eyes cold.

Jack shrugged. "Yeah, so? I've worked a lot of odd jobs over the years to support my family. I did a four-week stint on a supply vessel, decided it wasn't really for me. I guess that was around October or so."

"You returned on October 26. The day your wife reported your step-daughter missing. Any reason why you chose not to mention this during the investigation?"

He shrugged. "I didn't see the relevance. I never saw Michelle that day; she had some sort of meeting after school, and then she was supposed to come home after that. When she wasn't home by 9:00 that night, Jenn called the cops."

"So you didn't see Michelle at all that day?" Booth questioned.

"No, I already told you that I didn't," Jack said.

Booth leaned closer. "You're lying."

"I'm not lying."

Booth moved away from him, leaning back in his chair as Brennan set an evidence bag on the table. "We found this knife in the house. Though it was cleaned well, there are still traces of blood between the blade and the handle. Our lab is testing them now, but I believe that the blood is going to be a match to Michelle's."

"So you found a knife? Big deal. You can't prove that it was me."

"Michelle had skin under her fingernails," Brennan continued. "We're testing right now, but I would guess that the DNA will be a match to yours."

"Are you still sure there's nothing you want to tell us?" Booth questioned. Jack was silent. "Okay, fine, how about I tell you how I think it went down? I think that you got home, that you were tired from being on the ship, and then Michelle did something that just set you off. What was it, Jack, huh? Did she talk back to you? Or maybe she forgot to do her homework? Was that it?"

"No," Jack said quietly.

"What was that?"

"No!" he repeated, more vehemently this time. "It wasn't any of those things. Yes, I came home that day. I wasn't supposed to; I was scheduled to be at sea for another day, but we finished early. Jenn was out with Jimmy, so I thought the house was empty. And then I walked into the living room and found Michelle kissing some Hispanic guy who had to be as old as me.

So I yelled at them; you would do the same thing in my situation. I love Michelle like a daughter, and seeing that guy touching her and kissing her. . . it was just wrong. I started to go after him, but he ran. Michelle stopped me from going after him, and I tried to get past her so that I could give the pervert a piece of my mind. But she just wouldn't get out of my way, so I pushed her aside. She grabbed my arm, started screaming at me to just let him go. I tried to tell her that I was just protecting her, but she told me she didn't need protection. She could take care of herself.

Well, now I was mad at her. I grabbed her shoulders, tried to shake some reason into her, but she pushed me away. When I reached for her again, she pushed me off. And then she grabbed a knife from the counter behind her. I didn't know what else to do, so I grabbed a knife, too. She came after me, and I just thrust the knife forward. I didn't even realize it hit because she was still fighting like crazy, so I did the only thing I could. I stabbed her again. And again. Until she stopped trying to attack me."

"So you cleaned up the kitchen and moved her to the crate?" Booth tried to keep his voice flat, but he was literally quivering with rage now.

Jack nodded, tears now gathering in his eyes. "I knew people rarely ever looked in those, figured it would be a good place to hide her body. Look, I didn't mean to kill her. It was an accident. You have to believe me. I loved her."

"If you loved her, she wouldn't be dead," Booth hissed, his voice dangerously low. Brennan put a restraining hand on his bicep. Before he did something he regretted, Booth pushed away from the table forcefully, standing so quickly that his chair toppled to the ground with a loud clang that reverberated around the room. He strode from the room, not meeting Brennan's eye until they were alone in his office.

"What's this about, Booth?" she inquired, shutting the door behind them.

"Drew and Becca are getting married."

"So Parker's going to have a stepdad soon," Brennan reasoned. "You don't think Drew is going to murder him, do you?"

Booth laughed in spite of himself. "No, Bones, that's not what I'm worried about. I'm just worried about how I'm going to protect him now. I mean, I only see him every other weekend as it is. How can I protect him from everything evil in this world when I barely even see him?"

"You can protect him, and you will. Parker loves you, Booth, and he has complete faith in you and your ability to protect him. Maybe you would do well to have a similar faith." He looked up at her, considering her words for a moment. "Now, come on, let's go get the kids, grab some dinner, and go home."

"That sounds like a plan, Bones," Booth agreed.

They stopped at Sid's for a late dinner, and Brennan listened to Parker and Kristen eagerly explaining what they had done at school that day, smiling to herself. This was slowly becoming her life—dinners with stories of the kids' days at school, being roped into basketball or baseball games in the park (though in truth, she did not resist too much anymore), bedtime stories either read or created by Booth on the spot (Brennan had to admit, he was a talented storyteller), and late nights spent with Booth—sometimes making love but sometimes simply talking. And she was slowly coming to realize that it was not a bad way to spend her time. She still loved her work, still found it fulfilling, but Booth had helped her discover that there were other aspects of life which could also be fulfilling.

As they finished their dinner, Parker suddenly grabbed his father's arm excitedly. "Dad, look!" he exclaimed, pointing to the large window. Booth and Brennan both looked to see small white flakes falling slowly past the window, buffeted by the wind. A wide smile that matched Parker's broke out over Booth's face.

"First snow of the season," Booth remarked, staring at the flakes. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out enough money to cover the bill and set it on the counter. Sliding from his seat, he stood, staring at the others. "Come on, what are you guys waiting for? It's snow!" Brennan could not help but laugh at him; he sounded no older than Parker, and his eyes lit up with a youthful glow. Immediately, Parker and Kristen scrambled out of the booth, struggling to put on their heavy coats. Brennan was a bit slower, and Booth picked up her coat, impatiently holding it out for her. "Come on, Bones," he urged. "You don't want to miss the snow."

"It's just frozen water falling from the sky," Brennan pointed out.

"Uh-huh, Bones," Booth muttered, dragging her to the door after she had picked up Noah's carrier. Parker and Kristen danced ahead of them as they walked out onto the sidewalk. Parker's head was thrown back, his mouth wide open as he attempted to catch one of the elusive flakes on his tongue. Kristen mimicked his actions, and the two giggled excitedly as the frozen water fell around them.

"It's fairly early for the first snowfall," Brennan remarked. Booth shrugged. "It would seem that an unusually-"

"No squint talk, Bones," Booth interrupted. "Just enjoy it."

"Enjoy what, Booth? It's just frozen water, and it's cold out here."

"It's snow, Bones. Here, is this better?" He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her body against his side. She had to admit, she certainly felt warmer. "Now, just relax and enjoy it. See, look at Parker and Kristen." He gestured to the two who were still attempting to catch snowflakes. Parker's hands were raised above his body as if trying to reach for the source of the snow while Kristen seemed content to simply close her eyes and wait for the flakes to fall into her mouth. "Come on, Bones, let's try it," Booth urged.

"Try what?"

"Catching snowflakes." Booth tipped his head back as the kids had done, opening his mouth. Brennan watched him critically.

"This is ridiculous, Booth."

"Come on, Bones, surely you tried to catch snowflakes on your tongue at some point in time when you were a kid," Booth said, looking back at her.

"That was a long time ago, Booth."

"Well, then you're long overdue to catch some. Now, tilt your head back and follow my lead." Once more, he let his head fall back, letting out a loud laugh as his mouth opened, inviting in the frozen flakes. With a sigh, Brennan emulated his example, feeling silly as she opened her mouth to the heavens. Booth's arm tightened around her waist, and she let her eyelids slide shut as she waited. Slowly, the feeling of silliness began to dissipate to be replaced by something else, something Brennan had not felt in awhile. It was a feeling she thought she had lost in childhood, the feeling which made even simple occurrences seem extraordinary.

Suddenly, she felt something cold hit her tongue, and her eyes flew open as she straightened her neck, glancing over at Booth. He seemed to sense her gaze, for he, too, closed his mouth and moved his head so that he could look at her. "I think I caught one," she told him. His grin widened.

"I knew you would." Using the arm around her waist, he pulled her against him so that the front of their bodies were pressed together. "So, Bones, what do you think? Still think there's nothing more to snow that some frozen water?"

"I will admit that there seems to be something else to it, something. . ."

"Magical?" Booth suggested, his eyes twinkling. "Because that's what the first snowfall is, Bones. It's magical."

"I don't believe in magic." Booth nodded, still smiling as he leaned closer to her.

"Just wait, Bones, you will," he promised before pressing his lips to hers. The heat of his lips on hers was a stark contrast to the cool night air, and it created a tingling feeling which started at the point of contact and spread quickly throughout her body. She closed her eyes, letting him pull her closer as she lost herself in the feelings that his lips always seemed to evoke. She was starting to consider that Booth might be right (a realization she would never share with him). Perhaps there was something magical about the first snowfall.

After a few moments, they pulled apart, and Booth called to Parker and Kristen who had started to draw ahead, both laughing and jumping around in the snow. "Hey, Dad, can we make a snowman and have a snowball fight?" Parker questioned.

"I don't know about that, Bub," Booth said. "I don't know how much snow is actually going to fall tonight, and it doesn't seem like much of it is sticking. But once we get the first big snowfall, I promise we'll build a snowman and have a snowball fight."

"Okay," Parker agreed.

They stood outside for a short time longer, Parker and Kristen still fascinated by the snow. Brennan had taken Noah into the car with her where it was somewhat warmer. By the time the other three joined them, all of their faces were flushed from the cold, and all three wore wide grins. Booth started the car, turning up the heat and on the radio. A song that Brennan did not recognize was playing, but Parker and Booth both obviously knew it, for they began to sing along exuberantly. As they belted out the chorus, Kristen started to giggle loudly, and Brennan glanced back to see that Parker was playing air guitar to the music, reminding Brennan forcibly of Booth as he danced around her apartment. Her laughter soon joined Kristen's, mixing with Booth and Parker's singing to create a not-so-unpleasant cacophony of noise.

Later that night after all the kids were in bed, Brennan brought out a glass of wine for herself and a beer for Booth, setting the two drinks down on the coffee table where a stack of papers already sat. Booth smiled gratefully at her. "Looks like it's going to be a long night," he remarked, nodding to the paperwork.

"Well, we should get started then," Brennan declared matter-of-factly, taking a sip of her wine before removing the top sheet from the stack. They worked steadily for almost two hours before the ringing of Booth's phone interrupted them. He pulled it out of his pocket, wondering who would be calling them at such a late hour. Brennan saw his eyebrows furrowing in confusion when he saw the caller ID.

"Hello?" Brennan watched as he listened to the person on the other end, wondering if they had a new case already. His face paled after a few seconds, and his voice wavered slightly as when he next spoke. "Okay. We'll be there soon." He hung up, still staring straight ahead, automatically replacing the phone in his pocket.

"Do we have a new case?" Brennan asked.

His head shook slowly, and he turned around to face her. The movement appeared to take a large amount of effort. When she could finally see his face, she immediately noticed that his eyes had a haunted look. "Becca was in a car crash," he told her, his voice sounding hollow. "They took her to the hospital in critical condition."

"I'll get the kids."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The kids were difficult to rouse, but they complied eventually, making their way blearily toward the car beside Brennan. Booth followed behind carrying both Noah and a bag with his stuff. Booth was tempted to use the siren on the way, but he refrained. As it was, he was glad that they did not pass any cops, for he did not always follow the posted speed limit. By the time they reached the hospital, both Parker and Kristen had begun to sense their urgency. "What's goin' on?" Parker questioned tiredly.

"We're going to find that out now, Bub," Booth answered, slightly distracted. He was striding purposefully toward the elevator, his pace only slowing when he realized the kids were struggling to keep up.

"Something's wrong," Kristen observed.

"Something is, and I promise I'll tell you guys soon, but I want to get all the information first so I don't tell you anything wrong," Booth said. They exited the parking garage, crossing the street quickly to enter the hospital. "We're here for Rebecca Stinson," Booth told the nurse at the front desk.

"Are you family?"

"Yes," Booth answered simply. The nurse typed a few things into her keyboard before turning back to Booth.

"She's been taken up to ICU. They're still trying to stabilize her. You can't see her right now; however, I will page her doctor and tell him you're here. If you just proceed to the third floor waiting room, I'm sure he'll be out to see you when he can." Booth nodded, already turning back toward the elevator.

Booth hated hospitals. He always had, for hospitals never indicated anything good. The only pleasant memory he might have had from a hospital was Parker's birth, and he did not even have that, for Rebecca did not want him there during it. Perhaps the one thing he hated most about hospitals were the waiting rooms. He hated the grainy televisions which always seemed to be playing old Westerns and the colorful magazines with all the latest celebrity gossip which covered the tables. No one wanted to watch movies or read poorly written magazines while the life of one of their loved ones teetered on the brink. Just like no one wanted to spend hours in the plastic chairs that seemed designed to be uncomfortable.

But Booth still sank down in the chair, feeling it bow a bit beneath his weight. He saw no one else around, a fact which he supposed made sense since it was after visiting hours in the ICU. Once he was seated, he patted his lap, and Parker climbed up onto it, turning so that they were facing one another with Booth's arms looped around the boy's small frame. Brennan took Kristen and Noah, knowing this was a conversation that Booth needed to have with his son without interference. "Bub, there's something I need to tell you and you're going to have to be brave, okay?" Booth told his son, trying to keep the anguish from his own eyes. He needed to be strong for his son. Parker needed him now more than ever.

"What is it, Daddy?" Parker questioned, reverting to the childish form of address due to his fright. His brown eyes, so like Booth's own, gazed up at his father, wide and fearful. It was one of those moments that Booth would remember for years to come, one of those times when he realized just how vulnerable Parker truly was and just how much the small boy relied on him. The world was a horrible place, and Parker had not yet begun to realize this, but Booth knew the realization would come all too soon. He simply hoped that he could protect Parker from the horrors for as long as possible. That was his job as a father. "Why are we in a hospital, Daddy? I don't like hospitals. We only come here when someone gets hurt."

"Bub, someone was hurt. There was a car accident earlier, and-" Here, Booth paused, choosing his next words carefully. "Your mom was in it, Bub. She's hurt really badly."

"I wanna see her, Daddy!"

"We can't right now, Bub. The doctors are trying to fix her up."

"But I wanna see her now!" Parker's bottom lip quivered, and Booth pulled his son closer, holding Parker against his chest as he whispered soothing words in the small boy's ear. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see that Brennan had rejoined them, Kristen on her lap and Noah's carseat beside her. He gave her a weak smile, the most he could muster at the moment. He knew she had explained the situation to Kristen as well as she could, and the young girl's eyes met his with an understanding that far surpassed her age. Dropping out of Brennan's lap, Kristen crawled into Booth's own lap, squeezing herself between Parker's body and the arm of the chair. Without saying a word, she put one arm around Booth and another around Parker, offering comfort in the only way she knew. Booth smiled, and he knew in that moment that they were going to be okay.

Eventually, both Parker and Kristen fell asleep on Booth's lap. It was nearing two in the morning, and Booth knew he should be following the kids into dreamland, but his mind was working too fast to allow him rest. Noah had awoken, and Brennan had left the waiting room with him to feed and change him, trying to find a place where his cries would not disturb the peace. Not that there was any peace. There was only fear, fear of what was going to happen, fear of how drastically their lives could change. And Booth hated to be afraid.

The door leading back to the sterile white hallway of the ICU opened, and Booth looked up to see a doctor emerge. His face was grim, his stride purposeful, and Booth realized with a sinking heart that the news he was about to convey was not good. He walked straight to Booth, and Booth's eyes searched his. "Are you the family of Rebecca Stinson?" he questioned. Booth was too numb to speak, so he simply nodded. The doctor's voice had disturbed the kids who were both stirring feebly in Booth's arms. The next words which came from the doctor's mouth confirmed what Booth had dreaded from the beginning. "I'm sorry," the doctor said. "We did everything she could, but her injuries were just too severe." Booth was nodding again, still not trusting himself to speak.

"Daddy?" a small voice asked, and he looked down to see his son looking up at him again with a face of innocence. "Can we see Mommy now?"

Booth could not suppress the tears which gathered in the corners of his eyes as he realized his son was about to be exposed to the harsh reality of the world sooner than any child should be. "I'm sorry, Bub," he said, his voice breaking. "Your mom is gone. She's in heaven now. With grandma."

Tears pooled in Parker's own eyes, and he threw his arms around his father's neck. "No, I don't want her to go! Bring her back, Daddy, please! Bring her back!"

"I'm sorry, Bub. I'm sorry," Booth repeated over and over again as he held his son. The tears fell freely from Booth's eyes as he mourned not only the loss of a friend, someone who, despite their differences, he still cared for, but also the loss of his son's innocence.

Fifteen minutes later, Parker's exhaustion had taken over, and he had fallen asleep again, his head now surrounded by the dampness of his own tears. Kristen was still awake, but she had not spoken, instead choosing to rest a hand on Parker's back, right below Booth's own hand. She truly was an amazing child, and she had one of the largest hearts Booth had ever seen. Using his free hand to wipe the tears from his own eyes, Booth glanced up at the doctor who still stood in the waiting room. He had moved back slightly to allow the family some privacy to mourn, but he stepped forward again when he saw that Booth was looking at him. "There will be some paperwork for you to fill out," the doctor explained. "Also, she was brought in here with a man, a, Drew Porter." Booth nodded. "He's stable now but still critical."

"Can you tell me what happened, Doctor?" Booth queried. "I know it was a car crash, but they never gave me the details."

"I'm not sure if I can divulge that information."

Booth sighed, reaching around Kristen to withdraw his badge from where he had earlier shoved it in the inside of his coat pocket on his way out the door. He had thought it might come in handy. "Look, Doctor, I'm FBI. If you don't tell me now, I can just read the police report later, but I'd rather hear it sooner."

The doctor nodded in understanding. "From what the police told me, Mr. Porter was driving and Ms. Stinson was in the front seat. He evidently lost control of the car and collided with the guard rail on the shoulder. Ms. Stinson wasn't wearing her seatbelt, so she was thrown through the windshield."

"He lost control of the car?"

"His BAC was. 12; he should never have been behind the wheel."

Booth literally saw red at that moment, but he managed to keep his cool long enough to say, "Thank you, Doctor."

"Of course. I'll have a nurse bring out the paperwork." After the doctor left, Booth took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. He wanted to scream, but he knew that he could not do that. More than that, he wanted to find Drew and give the man a piece of his mind. He would not shoot him; oh no, he wanted the bastard to suffer, to pay for what he had done. The bastard had hurt his son, had left his son motherless at only seven years old. Seven! Parker was not supposed to deal with the loss of a parent yet. That loss should not come until later, much later when Parker was older and had a family of his own and was mature enough to handle the loss.

Thinking of Parker made Booth realize with a start that the small boy could have been in the car with them. What if Parker had been? Would Booth have been sitting in the hospital now mourning the loss of his son? And all because the bastard had not had sense enough not to get behind the wheel when he was obviously intoxicated. Booth did not know what Rebecca had been thinking; surely she was more responsible than this. She knew the dangers of riding with a drunk driver. And yet she was still in the car. Booth knew she had a tendency to be a bit wild, but she had always been careful with her life and her son's life. And now, she was dead because of a stupid mistake.

Booth pulled Parker closer, feeling his small heart beat reassuringly against Booth's own chest, reminding him that his son was alive. He was still here. Sure, he was grieving, and Booth knew that would be a long process, but at least Parker was alive and well and would have many more first snows of the year and dinners at Sid's. And for that, Booth was grateful.

He sensed Brennan's presence, and he looked up to see her standing above him, watching him carefully. She held Noah against her shoulder, her hand automatically rubbing soothing circles on the baby's back. It was truly amazing how far she had come in the seven short weeks the kids had lived with them. As she placed Noah back in the carrier, she stood straight again, and Booth's eyes met hers. He did not need to say anything; she already knew. She always did.

"He was drunk, Bones," Booth said, his voice low and filled with rage. "Drunk to the point where he probably couldn't walk straight, but he still got behind that wheel, and she got in the car with him. How stupid can you be?" His tortured eyes searched hers for answers, but she could provide none, having none herself. She reached out to touch his shoulder again, a gesture of comfort, but she wavered with her arm partially extended. "Bones?" he questioned, puzzled. And then without warning, her eyes slid shut, and she collapsed on the floor. "Bones!" he said, louder now. Kristen wriggled out of his lap, making her way quickly toward Brennan, her eyes full of concern. Booth stood, placing a still-sleeping Parker in the chair before kneeling beside his partner. "Bones," he repeated, softer this time as he ran a hand over her face. He was relieved to see her eyelids fluttering.

"What happened?" she questioned, her eyes finding his.

"You collapsed. Bones, I really want you to get checked out. Something's wrong."

"Booth-"

"Bones, you fainted. You never faint. Now either you go and get a doctor to check you out or I'm going to strap you to a wheelchair and take you to get checked out myself," he said. His voice invited no argument.

"The kids."

"I'll take care of them. You take care of you."

Two hours later, Booth was growing worried. A doctor had taken Brennan back to examine her nearly half an hour before, and he had not heard anything yet. He had called Angela, not really sure of what else to do, and she, Hodgins, Cam, and Sweets currently sat with him in the waiting room. Parker had awoken once more, again asking for his mother, and Booth had had to repeat the horrible news. He hated listening to Parker's heart-wrenching sobs, but he could do nothing except to hold his son close as Parker once again cried himself to sleep. Once Parker was asleep again, Booth had passed him off to Angela and stood. "I'm going to check on Bones," he announced. "I'm starting to worry."

"We'll be here," Angela promised. "Let us know when you know anything." Booth nodded, already heading away. A nurse tried to stop him from entering the hallway, but he flashed his badge and continued. He did not want to deal with questions right now. He just needed to find Brennan and assure himself that she was okay.

It did not take him long to find her. She was sitting up in a hospital bed wearing a white and blue hospital gown. A doctor stood beside her, a chart open in front of him. When he heard the door open and saw Booth, he opened his mouth, likely to tell Booth he should not be there, but Brennan cut him off. "Can you leave us alone for a minute, Dr. Kline?" she asked. The doctor looked like he wanted to object, but a single look from Booth stopped him from commenting. With a final note on his chart, he left. Booth immediately took his spot, reaching down to take Brennan's hand in his own. His eyes searched hers, trying to discover the answer to her mysterious illness. She bit her lip, watching him closely.

"What is it, Bones? What's wrong?" he questioned, dreading the answer.

"Nothing's wrong with me, Booth," she told him.

"Then why have you been so sick?"

"As soon as I told the doctor my symptoms, he knew immediately what caused them. I suppose I should have seen it, too, it's so obvious now that I think about it. But I was busy with the kids and cases and-"

"Just tell me what's going on, Temperance."

"I'm pregnant."

Booth blinked. It took a moment for her words to sink in and when they did, all he could think about was his son in the waiting room, the son who had just lost his mother and who could not stop crying. And he thought of how vulnerable Parker would be and how much care he would need over the next few weeks. And then he thought of Kristen and Noah and the horrors they had faced during their short lifetimes and how Kristen was only beginning to overcome these demons. And everything was suddenly so overwhelming, hitting Booth like a freight train, nearly suffocating him with the weight of it all, and he did the one thing he would regret for the rest of his life—he walked out of the room.

It took him about thirty seconds to realize that he had made the worst possible decision, and he raced back to Brennan's room as fast as possible. Unfortunately, it was too late; the damage was done. Brennan's eyes flashed dangerously as he entered the room. "Get out," she told him.

"Bones, let me explain-"

"I said get out."

"Look, Bones, I'm sorry!"

"No, Booth, I'm sorry. I thought you wanted this. You're the one who made me change my mind, made me want this, too. And now I realize that it was all an act."

"No, Bones, it wasn't. If you'd just let me-"

"Booth, I'm not going to say it again. Get out."

Booth looked in her eyes, and he saw that the anger had been replaced by a deep sadness along with a quiet resolve. And he was more frightened of that look than he had ever been of her anger because he was the one who had caused that anguish. He had promised to love her, promised to be there for her no matter what, and he had let her down just like everyone else. He hated himself for it. He did not deserve her, did not deserve happiness. And so, with a heavy heart, he did as she asked. He turned and left the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

After Booth left, Brennan's mind seemed to be going in a hundred different directions. She did not know what to do; she was treading in uncharted territory now. She had loved Booth, had opened herself up to him, and now he had left her alone just like everyone else in her life had. And as much as she tried to tell herself that she didn't need him, that she could live without him, she knew that she was just fooling herself. She could not get him out of her head, could not stop remembering his cocky grin or his childish exuberance or the feel of his hands and lips.

She was shaken from her thoughts by the sound of the door to the room opening. Half-expecting to see Booth, she looked up only to find that Angela stood just inside the doorway, her hands on her hips. "What's going on, Sweetie? And where's Booth?" Angela questioned.

"I don't know," Brennan replied honestly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Angela saw Brennan bite her lip and look downward. "Oh, Sweetie, did you guys fight?" Angela guessed. Brennan nodded. "Look, it was bound to happen sooner or later. You two are very stubborn people. But it's you and Booth, Bren. You two are meant to be together. You'll figure it out."

"I don't know if we can, Ange."

"What happened, Sweetie?"

"I told him I was pregnant."

Angela's eyes widened. "Oh."

"And then, he just walked out."

"Oh," Angela repeated.

"He came back, but I told him to get out. I thought he wanted this, Ange. I thought he would be happy. But he walked out. He's never walked out before."

"Sweetie, I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. Think about this from his perspective. His kid's mother just died, and he's been comforting him all night, probably thinks he's a horrible father because he can't do anything for Parker, and then you tell him this. I think it was just too much for him all at once. I'm sure he'll be thrilled once things settle down a little bit more."

"But what should I do, Ange? I don't want to do this right now. I'm not even sure if I can; I'm not the world's greatest mother. I'm still learning."

"Go find him, Sweetie. You two need to stick together now."

"Okay, Ange. Thanks."

"Anytime. That's what friends are for. And don't worry about the kids; we've got them. I'll take them back to your apartment and stay with them until you two get home."

"Parker needs Booth right now."

"Parker is fast asleep and probably will be for a few more hours. It's been a very tiring night for him, for all of us. You two should be back by the time he wakes."

"Thanks again, Angela."

"No problem. Now, go get him, tiger."

Brennan was not able to go right away; first she had to talk with the doctor who cleared her to leave. After donning her street clothes again, she set out to find Booth. She had a feeling he had not gone too far; likely, he was still in the hospital. She thought briefly about going up to ICU; he might have returned there. But no, Angela had not seen him, and she was still there with the kids. Brennan stopped at the elevator, scanning the directory, trying to figure out where he might have gone. Her eyes stopped at one particular location, and a small smile graced her lips. She knew exactly where he was.

She took the elevator all the way to the first floor and followed the signs to her destination. Sure enough, she found him kneeling in the second row of the small sanctuary in the hospital, his head bowed and his hands clasped in prayer. The candles in front of him cast an eerie glow over him as he prayed. Brennan had learned to respect him enough during her partnership that she stayed back, letting him finish his prayer. She did not believe, but she knew that he did and that his beliefs were a comfort to him. And right now, he needed whatever comfort he could find.

"I should've known you would find me here," he remarked suddenly, still facing forward. He always seemed to be able to sense her presence without actually seeing her; Brennan supposed it was his sniper training.

"I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You're not interrupting." It was all the invitation she needed; stepping forward, Brennan joined him, sitting in the pew beside him. He crossed himself before rising up from his knees and also sitting in the pew. "I really am happy about this, Bones," he told her, still not looking at her. "It's just that things are a little overwhelming right now."

"I know. Angela mentioned that."

"She's a smart woman. You're lucky to have her as a friend."

"I know." They were silent for a minute or so. "How are we going to do this, Booth?" Brennan finally questioned.

"One day at a time," Booth answered.

"But we have three kids now. How are we supposed to deal with all three of them and a new baby?"

"We'll manage, Bones. We always do."

"So you really want this baby?"

"Of course I do, Bones. Come on, just think of it. A little human, part you and part me. He or she will have your intelligence and my intuition, your logic and my instincts. I know the timing's not ideal and that we agreed to wait for awhile after we took in Noah and Kristen, but they say God works in mysterious ways."

"I don't believe in God."

"I know you don't, Bones." His hand covered hers. "Look, Bones, I know you're scared, and to be honest, I am, too. But we can do this. We can do anything together."

"I doubt we could do anything. There are things which-"

"Trust me, Bones, if we really put our minds to it, we can do anything. And I'm truly sorry about earlier. I never should have walked out on you. But I promise you, I'm with you, no matter what happens. We're in this together now, and I promise to stick by you in the future regardless of the circumstances."

"I forgive you, Booth. I know you have a lot in your bowl right now."

Booth chuckled in spite of himself. "On my plate, Bones. And yes, I do, but you do, too, and that is no excuse for me walking out like that."

Brennan knew Booth would continue to beat himself up over what had happened, so she finally suggested. "How about we start over?"

Booth smiled at her, and she knew she had done something right. "Okay, Bones," he agreed. "Let's do that."

"So, Booth, I have some big news for you."

"What is it, Sweetheart?"

Brennan's eyes narrowed. "Just because we started over doesn't mean I'll allow you to refer to me with ridiculous endearments."

"Sorry, Bones, won't happen again."

"Well, you know how we talked about having a baby a few months ago?"

"Yes."

"It seems that our frequent sexual encounters have resulted in my impregnation."

"Geez, Bones, way to suck the romance out of it."

"There's nothing romantic about the meeting of the sperm and egg that results in fertilization. It's a natural biological process that is necessary for the perpetuation of the species," Brennan pointed out.

"Well, I like to think that there's at least some romance in the way that the sperm gets to the egg in the first place."

"Everything does not always have to be about romance, Booth."

"Between us, it does."

"Why?"

"Because you deserve that." Brennan opened her mouth but found herself unsure of how to respond to his matter-of-fact statement. Booth chuckled at her inability to speak, his thumb moving to rub small circles on the back of her hand. "So, how far along are you Bones?"

"Seven weeks."

"Seven? Shouldn't you have noticed. . . other signs?"

"You mean a missed menstrual cycle? Yes, I should have, but it's not unusual for me to miss one due to stress from my job or something similar. Still, you're right, I should've noticed it and figured out what was going on."

"I'm just glad that you're okay. And we're having a baby!" His eyes lit up as he spoke, and it was in that moment that Brennan realized he was right. It was going to be okay. _They_ were going to be okay.

"The doctor prescribed something for the nausea, so I shouldn't have to worry about that too much anymore."

"That's good, Bones. I don't know how many more times I can take being thrown up on. I think my dry cleaner will thank you, too." His eyes twinkled as he spoke, and Brennan knew that he really did not mind too much, that he would be by her side no matter how many times she vomited on him.

"I think you're going to have to deal with it anyway," Brennan pointed out. "Babies have a tendency to spit up after taking air in with their food or-"

Booth laughed loudly. "I know, Bones. Noah got me a couple days ago, remember?"

Booth smiled at the memory. "Booth, we're okay, right?" she questioned after a few seconds. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the knuckles.

"Always, Bones."

There was another pause before Brennan spoke again, "I guess it was a good thing that you convinced me to get five bedrooms."

"Definitely, Bones. Definitely."


End file.
